The Path To Travel On
by Neo Fox Legend
Summary: Ash Ketchum is a kid from Pallet Town with a dream. To see the world and battle strong trainers! the Pokemon world is a big place and he wants to see it all. To be the best like no one else.
1. Chapter 1: The Journey Starts

"Ash Ketchum! You better be in bed!" One Delia Ketchum called up to her son. It was late and the young teen needed to be up early to get his starter Pokemon. The last month ever since her son had turned thirteen that was all he could talk about. Choosing his very own starter and going on his journey.

"Hold on mom I just want to finish this match between Bruno and Lance!" Ash called back with his eye locked out to the screen in front of him. It was an exhibition match between the Fighting-type Elite, Bruno, and the Dragon-type master, Lance. This match was held every year before the beginning of the Indigo circuit. A way of kicking everything off with a bang so to speak. He remembered last years battle between Bruno and Agatha as being a particularly memorable match.

Bruno had chosen a large humanoid-like pokemon known as Hariyama while Lance had gone with the long serpentine Dragon pokemon, Dragonair. Hariyama was currently blocking Dragonair's tail which was glowing a metallic color. The more the battle went on the more Ash wanted tomorrow to come. But he couldn't sleep right now. He was too excited.

"Hariyama strike with your Force Palm," Bruno called from the TV screen. The Hoene fighting type struck quickly with its right palm going to strike Dragonair. His other hand was still wrapped around the other pokemon's tail.

"Dragonair use Safeguard!" Lance ordered and the dragon covered itself with green energy. Hariyama's palm struck the scaled body of Dragonair, but it was still standing strong."Now use Dragon Breath!" Green energy erupted from Dragonair's mouth blasted into the chest of Hariyama pushing it back and causing him to let go of Dragonair's tail.

"Hariyama you have to recover," Bruno shouted to his struggling Pokemon. Before Hariyama could stand fully, electricity surged through its body stopping it in its tracks. "Oh no!" Paralyzation. A way of stopping something from moving by shocking it. Dragon Breath was known to sometimes do just that.

"Now Dragonair use Dragon Rush!" Blue dragonic energy began to form around Dragonair and shape itself into a larger dragon. With a mighty cry, Dragonair flew through the air and struck Hariyama with the full force of the attack. The fighting type wasn't able to take any more beatings from the other Pokemon and collapsed unconscious.

"Whoa..."Ash muttered as the two opponents walked forward and shook hands after returning their two pokemon. The fierce battle between the two Elite level trainers reminded him of his goal. No his dream!

Ash Ketchum was going to be the very best...

* * *

Morning arrived in the Ketchum resident and Ash was on the move as soon as he could.

"Morning mom," Ash said as took his spot at the dining table. "Morning Mimey."

"Mr. Mime." Greeted the psychic pokemon as he helped his trainer by setting her son's breakfast in front of him. Ash grinned as dug into the waffles and bacon placed in front of him.

"Thanks, Mimey," Ash said in between bites of food. If there was one thing he was going to miss while he was on his journey it would be his mother's cooking.

"Look at you. My big strong trainer ready to take on the world!" Delia exclaimed as she hugged her son. "I'm glad the clothes fit you so well." Ash stood up and glanced at his clothes. He was wearing a red vest over a black short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and black and blue sneakers. "It's missing something though isn't it."

"What?" Ash asked confused. All in all, he thought he looked pretty awesome.

"Here you go," Delia said as she handed him a hat. It was a red cap with a black Pokeball symbol on it.

"Nice thanks, Mom." Ash thanked as he placed the hat on top of his head. It was perfect. Taking a quick glance at the time, Ash realized he needed to get going if he wanted to make it Prof. Oak's lab on time. Shoveling the last bits of food into his mouth, he stood up, wiped his mouth off and hugged his mom. "Bye, mom! Don't want to be late."He grabbed his red and white backpack and was off

"I'll see you at the lab sweetie," Delia called out to her son as he rushed out the front door. "So much like you." She mumbled to herself as she glanced at a picture sitting on a nearby stand.

So very much like him indeed.

* * *

Ash was jogging through Pallet Town in a slight hurry. He couldn't help it. He was just so excited! As long as he could remember, he had wanted to work with Pokemon as much as possible. Growing right down the road from the famous Prof Oak probably had something to do with it. There was a wide variety of amazing creatures there and with strange and powerful abilities. Oak himself had a large Arcanine that stood guard over the other housed Pokemon there.

His two closest human friends also had something to do with it. His friend was Gary Oak, a boy who until the last couple of years had been his best friend. Until he turned into a smug jerk that is. His other friend was...

"Hey, Ash!" A voice called out to him and he slowed down to get a good look at the person. Coming from a different path was a girl about his age with long brown hair that came down to her shoulders in waves. On top of her head was a white hat that kept the sun out her eyes. She was wearing a blue tank top and red skirt that fit her perfectly and a pair of white shoes.

"Hey Leaf. You ready?" Leaf was his first real friend besides Gary and she shared in his love for Pokemon and the mysteries surrounding them. If there was one person that was just excited for today as he was, it was Leaf Williams.

"Of course I am. it's not every day that you receive your first Pokemon." She replied good-naturedly. "Have you thought about which Pokemon you want?"

"I have," Ash answered with a smirk, "I'm gonna keep it a secret until we get there."

"Well, I'm hoping to get Bulbasaur." Ash understood why she wanted Bulbasaur. The fully evolved Grass started was a powerhouse that could be the bane of a team. His mom had one that hung around the backyard and while most of the time it could be seen relaxing in the sunlight he knew that if any rogue Pokemon were to get to close to his house, Venosaur would be there to stop it.

"Makes sense. Bulbasaur is the most balanced of the starters. Definitely helpful with the first three Gyms..."

"Oh, Ash always thinking about battling. Maybe I just want Bulbasaur because they're cute."

"Yeah right. You love Pokemon battles as much as I do." Leaf only gave him a playful grin that Ash soon found himself mirroring.

Soon they found themselves in front the very familiar Oak lab, only this time it felt different. After they walked in today they would be full-fledged Pokemon trainers. They would be responsible for whatever Pokemon they'd capture.

"Let's do this," Ash said confidently and opened the door. "Professor we're here!"

"Ash?" Oak's voice called out through the lab. Oak was standing there talking to one of his aides. "And Leaf too! Right on time."

"Good morning Professor. Is Gary here?"

"Gary is upstairs waiting on you both. Believe it or not, he's just as excited as you two."

"I seriously doubt that Professor," Ash replied good-naturedly as they followed him up the stairs.

"About time you two showed up," Gary said as they reached the second floor. He was standing in the middle of the room by a large machine that had three Pokeballs. "I hope you two are ready to start losing to me." He taunted arrogantly.

"In your dreams Gary." Ash shot back at his rival. That was what they were now. Rivals. Because friends didn't treat friends that way, Gary treated them. Ever since they started there studies to become Pokemon Trainers, Gary acted like he was better than Ash at everything and while Gary might be better at the technical side to being a Pokemon Trainer, Ash believed he was the better battler between the two. He would just have to prove that to Gary once they had their Pokemon.

"That's enough you two." Oak scolded as he walked up next to the machine. "As you all know, you three have been selected this year to receive the Regional Starter Pokemon based off your Pokemon Trainer exam scores. With this in mind, I am allowing Leaf to go first as she scored the highest between you three and because of ladies first." He finished with a chuckle as Gary and Ash pouted. Leaf was the firm middle of the spectrum when it came to the three. While Ash was a great battler and Gary was knowledgeable when it came to Pokemon, Leaf was both to a lesser extent. She was a smart trainer who knew how to battle her way out of trouble.

"Since I'm going first I choose Bulbasaur!" Leaf said excitedly as he grabbed the Pokeball with a small leaf symbol on it. "Come on out!" Appear in a flash of light was a small green Pokemon with a large Bulb on its back. The pokemon in looked around in question until its eyes finally landed on Leaf. "Bul?"

"Hi there Bulbasaur, my name is Leaf. I'm your new trainer. If you'll let me be that is." Bulbasaur seemed to approve because it jumped up into Leaf's arm nearly knocking her over.

"Bulbasaur!"

"Somehow I knew you'd pick him," Oak said fondly as he turned to Ash and Gary. "Now Ash it's your turn."

"What!" Gary shouted outraged. "But what about me Grandpa!" he demanded

"Hold on Gary the pokemon aren't going anywhere. Besides, I also have a feeling on which two Pokemon you two want." Oak replied sternly as Ash stepped forward. Ash's eyes immediately went to the Pokeball with a small flame symbol on it.

"I choose Charmander," Ash said with a grin as he picked up the Pokeball and released the Pokemon. Appearing in front of him was small orange lizard Pokemon with a fire burning on the tip of his tail.

"Char?"

"Hi Charmander. My name is Ash. I was hoping that you and I could become a team." Ash said as he kneeled down to Charmander's level. The Pokemon's blue eyes looked into Ash's amber. It raised it's tiny arms up with a toothy grin on its snout. Ash returned it and fist-bumped the small Pokemon. "Alright, then it's us against the world Charmander!"

"Charmander!" It cried in agreement as pumped its arm up as enthusiastic as its trainer. Oak, Leaf, and Bulbasaur smiled at the two while Gary looked at them bored at the display.

"Great for you Ash-y boy. Now step aside and let a real trainer get his Pokemon." Gary pushed past Ash and Charmander and grabbed the last Pokeball on display. It had a small water drop symbol on it. "I wanted Squirtle anyway." He released the last of the starter Pokemon. It was a small blue turtle Pokemon with a tail that swirled. It looked around in confusion before it's eyes locked onto Gary. "Hi there Squirtle. I'm your new trainer."Gary was to the point compared to Ash and Leaf when it came to bonding with his new Pokemon. "Together we can take the League by storm!" Squirtle seemed to agree with Gary because it jumped up and down in excitement.

Oak watched as each trainer bonded with their new Pokemon, a sense of nostalgia washed over him. For just a brief moment he was watching himself pick his first Pokemon. He shook himself out of it. Those were memories for another day.

"Now then for the final item that I need to give you." Oak reached into his lab coat and pulled out three red devices and he each to the new trainers. "These are Pokedexes. These are encyclopedias on Pokemon knowledge and are given to help trainers understand Pokemon better. Use the button on the side to learn more about your own Pokemon."

Ash, Leaf, and Gary did just as Oak instructed and gasped in surprise.

_"__Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. A young Bulbasaur uses the nutrients from its seed for the energy it needs to grow. This Bulbasaur is male and knows the moves Take Down, Vine Whip Growth and Leech Seed."_

_ "Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. Charmander's health can be gauged by the fire on the tip of its tail, which burns intensely when it's in good health. This Charmander is male knows and the moves Metal Claw, Ember, Hone Claw, and Smokescreen."_

_"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible water attacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful. This Squirtle is male and knows the moves Bite, Bubble, Rapid Spin, and Withdraw."_

"Wow, you guys are amazing!" Ash exclaimed as Leaf and Gary nodded in agreement. Each of the Pokemon puffed in pride of their power. Oak chuckled at the reactions. Sometimes it was the little things in life that were the best.

"Bulbasaur your so strong!" Leaf said to the small Pokemon who blushed at the praise.

"With your strength Squirtle, nothing is going to stand in our way," Gary stated with pride. Ash thought it sounded more like arrogance but it wasn't the time to call Gary out like that in front of his grandpa.

"Now then I believe that the day is only just beginning. You each have a long road ahead of you, but I have faith that each of you will be able to defeat the challenges that you'll face." Oak informed as each of the three trainers looked at each other and made a silent vow to each other. To keep on going no matter what they faced.

"Come on Charmander let's go introduce you to mom!" Ash said with the little pokemon following right behind him. "See you later Professor!"

"Wait up Ash!" Leaf called out as she and Bulbasaur trailed after them. Gary shook his head at the two and their antics.

"You know it's alright to be as happy and excited as them, Gary," Oak said to his grandson.

"No way grandpa. I'm a Pokemon Trainer now. Not some foolish kid."

Oak sighed at his grandson's actions. Every time he tried to act older than he actually was, he ended up looking rather foolish himself.

* * *

"What an adorable Charmander!" Delia stated as Ash, Leaf and their new companions. Delia had already picked up the fire type and was examining him. "And Leaf you have an equally adorable Bulbasaur."

"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum." Leaf said as she approached her mother. Rose Williams was a beautiful woman who like her daughter had long flowing light brown hair that reached the middle of her and also like her daughter had deep blue eyes.

"You chose Bulbasaur I see," Rose stated with a happy smile. She was glad that her daughter obtained the Pokemon that she wanted.

"Do you know where Gary-" Before Delia could finish her question, a loud roar erupted from above them and the small group ducked to avoid the massive dragon that landed on the grass. The mighty beast had blue scales that gleamed in the sunlight. It was a Salamence and to Ash and Delia was very familiar. The person riding on its back even more so.

"Dad!" Ash shouted as ran up to his father. Silver Ketchum was a tall man with long dark grey hair that was wild like his son and also like his son he had wild air to him. He was wearing a long brown coat that had flames on the end of it that fit his tall strong frame. "What, are you doing here? I thought they needed you at the Indigo Plateau?"

"And miss your day. Not a chance in hell." Silver said with a loud joyous laugh. Delia walked up and Silver place a quick kiss on her lips in greeting. "So you chose Charmander ey? Solid choose. Seen quite a few Charizards in my time and a well-trained one can be deadly. Ain't that right Salamence." The large Dragon-type roared in agreement with its trainer. Charmander and Bulbasaur approached the fully evolved Dragon-type who gave his own once over and growled in greeting at the smaller Pokemon.

"Huh, most Pokemon are too afraid to approach Salamence. Guess these two pipsqueaks are gutsier than others." Silver said

"Nice to see you again Mr. Ketchum." Gary's voice called from behind them. Ash's rival stopped and stared at the familiar dragon. No matter how many times he saw, it never failed to not impress him. "Hope you didn't come all this way to see me cream your son in his first battle."

"Now Gary..." Oak warned as he approached. "Silver! Always a pleasure to see you."

"Good to see you too old man."

"You talk too much Gary," Ash said as he and Charmander stepped forward. Both trainers locked eyes in an intense staredown.

"Talk is cheap," Siver said with a smirk, "Action is a better way to show us who is stronger!" he finished with a smile. Delia reached up and pinched her husband's ear.

"Are you egging these two on to see a battle?" Delia asked her husband who chuckled sheepishly.

"Me? I would never do that." Silver answered as he struggled to stay standing while his wife held her death grip on his ear. She let go of it but sent him a small glare.

"Dad doesn't need to egg us on Mom," Ash said to his mom. The truth was that this was a long time coming.

"We can use grandpa's battlefield that's behind the lab," Gary exclaimed as they walked to the back. Numerous Pokemon were out running around the lab's grounds. Pokemon such as Nidoran, Oddish, and Growlithe stopped what they were doing in order to look at the two trainers. Oak's old Arcanine was also watching them from a safe distance. It made a low growl of greeting to Silver and Salamence. Salamence did the same in a show of respect. One battler to another.

"I'll referee for the match," Oak stated as he took his place. "Now if each of you can go to your respective ends." Ash and Gary did just that, their Pokemon trailing after them.

"You scared Ash-Boy?" Gary taunted with a smirk that his Squirtle seemed to pick up on.

"Not a chance Gary," Ash said as Charmander stepped forward. His tail flame seemed to grow larger and his eyes showed how eager he was for a fight. The amount of Pokemon grew larger as the two trainers prepared. Pidgeys landed on nearby tree branches and several Ratattas joined the group of Nidorans. One Pokemon stood out amongst the other Pokemon. A small yellow electric mouse watched Ash and Charmander curiously. The Pichu tilted its head as it got a good look at the duo.

Oak looked at both of the trainers before giving a hand motion. "Begin!"

"Squirtle use Bubble!"

"Counter with Ember Charmander!"

The tiny turtle let loose a barrage of bubbles from its mouth, while Charmander had several small flame shards escape from its mouth. The two attacks collided in a stalemate that canceled each other out.

"Charmander use Hone Claw, follow it up with Metal Claw!" Charmander's claws grew longer and sharper for a brief second, while its eyes locked in on Squirtle. The claws then took on a metallic tint as he charger forward.

"Use Withdraw!" Gary called out and Squirtle brought himself into his shell. Charmander's claws racked down, but Squirtle was protected by its shell." Now use Bite." Squirtle's head shot out of the shell and it latched onto Charmander's arm elected a cry of pain from the Fire-type.

"Charmander use Ember." Charmander lifted its arm and Squirtle into the air and unleashed the small flames right into Squirtle's face. Pain erupted in Squirtle's eyes as it let go of Charmander's arm and jumped back. "Go for a Metal Claw!"

"Rapid Spin quick! Gary called urgently. Squirtle sucked his body back into his shell and began spinning. It flew at Charmander's glowing metallic claws and duel for supremacy began.

Silver had his eyes on the battle as both Pokemon tried to overpower the other. Charmander seemed to be still feeling the boost of the Hone Claw and was slowly overpowering the spinning Water-type. Both of them were giving it their all and it made him proud to see his son show how good of a trainer he already was.

"So who do you think is going to win dear?" Delia asked as Squirtle and Charmander continued there to match the other.

"I already know how this fight is going to end." Silver said with a cocky smirk. Rose nodded with him and he was reminded how she was also an accomplished trainer. Rose leaned more towards Coordinating, but that didn't make her any less qualified. In fact, if there was anyone it Pallet Town besides old man Oak that could give him a decent battle then it would be Rose Williams.

"I'm rooting for Ash to win." Leaf said to Silver

"Oh really?" Silver said with a raised eyebrow. He was going to file this away for later to tease his son.

Squirtle came flying back around still spinning and met Charmander head-on. The flame lizard raised it's clawed hands and tried to stop the spinning turtle being pushed back from the force of the shell. Charmander held for a moment before bringing one of his claws down smashing Squirtle into the dirt.

"Squirtle use Bubble now!" Squirtle's head shot out of his shell and sprayed Charmander with another barrage of bubbles. The bubbles forced Charmander back.

"Use Metal Claw and pop the bubbles." Ash order and Charmander use his sharp claws to slice away the bubbles.

Both Pokemon were exhausted from the battle. Pushing themselves to their limit to see who was stronger.

"Charmander," Ash called and Charmander and turned to his trainer.

"Squirtle," Gary did the same. Perhaps they both knew that their Pokemon were on their last legs and only had enough energy for one last attack.

"Ember!"

"Bubble!"

The two attacks flew through the air and collided in another stalemate. Neither Pokemon wanting to back down. They poured more energy into their attacks. The battling energies ended in a small explosion that forced both Pokemon to go flying back.

"Charmander!" Ash shouted worried for his Pokemon as he ran forward

"Squirtle!" Gary cried out just as worried for his Pokemon.

"Heh. Called it." Silver said as he reached into his satchel and pulled two Sitrus Berries. He threw them to both Ash and Gary. "Here. This battle is over. Both these little guys gave it they're all. Nothing more than you can ask for."

"Exactly right Silver. A great first battle for both of you." The professor said with a smile.

Ash smiled as he fed Charmander the Sitrus Berry. The berries rejuvenating effect already working as Charmander gobbled it down. "You were awesome Charmander. We'll get him next time for sure." Charmander smiled at his trainer as he slowly stood up.

"Yeah like that'll ever happen," Gary said as he returned his Pokemon. "The next time we meet I will beat you, Ash. I'll see you later grandpa." With that Gary as off walking the route to Viridian City.

"That kid has issues Oak." Silver said aloud causing Delia to smack him on the arm. "What?"

"Its ok Delia. I'm afraid Silver may be right with Gary's attitude. Hopefully being on the road will straighten him out."

"Training Pokemon will either help him or hurt him, Samuel," Rose said, "I suppose time will tell us which it is."

"Well enough of that. How do you feel with your first battle under your belt?" Silver asked his son.

"Like I can't wait to have another one," Ash answered with a grin causing his dad to laugh.

"I swear you Ketchum man only ever think about battling," Delia said with a laugh causing both father and son to turn her.

"There's nothing better than a great Pokemon battle." Silver and Ash said at the same time defensively causing everyone to laugh.

"I think you're on to something Mrs. Ketchum." Leaf said still laughing.

"Everyone is against me," Ash said as Charmander patted his trainer's leg in understanding.

"Pichu!" Everyone turned to see the small yellow and black electric mouse pointing at Ash and Charmander.

"Oh, a Pichu!" Leaf said as she went to bend down to get a closer look at the Pokemon, but was stopped by Rose. "Hey what gives Mom?"

"I know when a Pokemon once to battle and that Pichu wants a fight," Rose explained as Leaf took a closer look at Pichu. A small burst of electricity appeared on each of its cheeks and a determined glint was in its eyes.

"I think this little one wants to battle you, Ash," Oak said as he examined the Pokemon. "This is the first time since he arrived here from Johto that he's taken an interest in a trainer. Most of the time I have to chase him away from my electric cables."

"So it is a wild Pokemon?" Delia asked.

"Oh yes. One of my colleagues in Johto sent him to me as an egg and was hoping I could find it a trainer, but the fellow is rather mischievous and shocks most people that approach him."

"I guess we showed him something interesting eh Charmander."

"Char."

"If your up for it I'd like to battle him Charmander." Ash wasn't going to force him to battle another Pokemon after just battling Gary. Only if he was willing. And from the determined look in Charmander's eye, he was up for it. "Then let's do it!"

Charmander stepped forward and growled at Pichu and returned it with its own glare and sparks on its cheeks.

"Everyone stand back." Silver warned. He reached into his satchel and pulled out an ordinary Pokeball and tossed it over to Ash. "You'll need this."

"Thanks, Dad," Ash said with a nod. "Let's go Charmander use Ember!" Charmander launched the small fire shards at Pichu who generated electricity around him and unleashed in a small bolt of electricity. Ash recognized it as a Thundershock. The attacks collided before Charmander'S Ember overpowered the Thundershock and struck Pichu.

"Pi!" The small Pokemon cried out in pain

"Use Metal Claw!" Charmander charged forward with its metallic claws to strike Pichu. But it disappeared like Pichu wasn't there.

"Double Team." Ash realized as Pichu reappeared in a Quick Attack and Charmander flew back. Pichu charged another Thundershock and let it loose at Charmander.

"Charmander move!" Ash ordered as Charmander snapped to attention and jumped out of the way of the electricity. "Use your Smokescreen!"

Smoke filled Charmander's mouth which he let loose in a large puff of smoke that covered Pichu. The small Pokemon coughed as it lost focus and couldn't see through the smoke. A shadow appeared behind Pichu who turned in shock as a Charmander's glowing claws smashed the side of his face and was pushed forward. Pichu tumbled across the ground until he finally stopped.

"Use Ember now!" Pichu's eye snapped open as it saw the burning shards approach it. It charged up a larger burst of electricity that countered the Ember and then completely overpowered it. Charmander jumped out of the way just in time as the electricity turned and hit Charmander in the back, eliciting a cry of pain from Charmander.

"Be careful Ash! That was a Shock Wave attack!" Leaf warned as Bulbasaur looked at the battling creature before it. Bulbasaur glared at the Pichu as it took a spot in front of its trainer in case any stray attacks came their way.

Pichu was panting from using that much electricity. The young mouse still didn't have enough experience with using that amount of power. It almost fell over before catching himself.

"Charmander use Hone Claw!. Then aim an Ember at the ground in front of Pichu." Ash ordered and Charmander followed his trainer's command. Using Hone Claw his eyes seemed to focus more before he charged the small flame and launched it at the spot Ash chose. The attack struck the ground in front of Pichu and kicked up the dirt causing Pichu to jump to avoid the sudden surprise.

Pichu fumbled around while it was in the air. Not completely with having its legs off the ground.

"Finish it with Metal Claw," Ash ordered and Charmander jumped up with its glowing claws and slashed Pichu back into the ground. Pichu was completely out of it now. The barrage of attacks had left him in a daze.

"Pokeball go!" Ash yelled as he threw the Pokeball his dad had given him. The empty ball smacked Pichu lightly on the head. It opened to bring Pichu into the ball. It shook for a brief second. Once. Twice. Three! And then snap. Capture complete. "Alright, we did it Charmander!"

"Char!" The little fire type cheered with its trainer as he picked up the ball that held their new teammate.

"Way to go Ash!" Leaf congratulated as she and Bulbasaur ran up to Ash. Silver, Delia and Rose all exchanged looks with one another. They would be teasing their children about this later.

Ash grinned as he stared at the Pokeball. His first day as a trainer and he already caught a rather powerful Pichu. Not too shabby if he did say so himself. And both his parent was able to see it.

"Ha, I knew you could do it!" Silver exclaimed as he clapped Ash on his back, nearly knocking him over. "You're a Ketchum after all."

"It's all thanks to Charmander here," Ash said as he patted Charmander on his head. "He did the hard work."

"A Pokemon and a Trainer are a team. Neither one can accomplish anything without the other." Oak told them wisely. Ash and Leaf nodded in understanding. A ringing noise broke them out of their conversation. Silver reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a worn Pokenav.

"Hello? Yeah, what do you guys need? I've only been gone for an hour. Damn it, Lance. I'll be there in thirty minutes. I'm in Pallet it shouldn't take me to long." Silver ended his call with his sigh before it transformed into a smirk as he looked at his wife and son. "Duty calls." Silver pointed at Ash. "I expect to see you in the Indigo League." He said to his son with a grin.

"In it? I plan to win it!" Ash shot back at his father with his own grin

"Delia I'm sure you know this but the men in the Ketchum family are certifiable." Rose joked

"Oh, I know it. And I love them all the more for it." Delia said with a fond smile at the father and son duo. Her husband walked up to her.

"I'll be back before you know it." Silver promised as he kissed her forehead.

"I'll hold you to that Mr. Champion," Delia said as she hugged him. He ruffled Ash's hair before climbing atop his mighty Dragon-type.

"Let's go Salamence!" With that order, the dragon flapped its wings and took off into the sky, quickly becoming a speck in the distance. Ash's eyes watched as his father flew away on his Pokemon. A determined smile on his face.

_'One day dad. I'll catch up to you.'_

* * *

Hey, guys, I'm back and better than ever with a new story to boot. I was inspired after playing this ROM hack called Pokemon Dark Violet and this is what I came up with. This is a different take of the anime with all the updated info like Fairy-types. As you can also see Ash's father play a pretty prominent role in the story. I remember the first time I saw Silver and I just thought damn that's Ash's dad. Also, I being influenced by the Pokemon Adventures manga which actually kicks a lot of ass. Seriously it's a great series.

Quick question for everyone. Did the Sword and Shield trailer kind of disappoint anyone? Some of the new Pokemon look pretty cool, but I'm not really sure how to feel about this new gimmick that got going. Mega evolution was cool and Z-moves were pretty sweet, but this one just doesn't click with me.

Anyway, let me know what Pokemon you think Ash should catch. And no legendaries. At least not yet. He did just start his journey after all. If you want to send in a suggestion on what Leaf should catch that would be cool too.

As always I own none of this. Until next time.

* * *

Ash's Pokemon

Charmander- Metal Claw, Ember, Hone Claw, Smokescreen

Pichu-Thundershock, Quick Attack, Double Team, Shock Wave


	2. Chapter 2: Wings and Worries

"There he goes again," Delia said with a smile as her husband took off to do his duties. "And now he's about to take off." Her eyes were locked on to her son as he joked around with Leaf. He had just released Pichu to introduce himself to small Pokemon.

"I know how you feel Delia," Rose said as she came to stand next to her friend. "But it happens to every mother when their child becomes a trainer."

"I know, I know," Delia said as Pichu let loose a low powered Thundershock that hit the kids "But trouble finds that boy wherever he goes." The kids slowly got up from the small prank the Pokemon surprised them with. Ash laughed good-naturedly with Pichu. Leaf on the other hand...

"My hair!" Leaf shouted as her long brown hair stood up. She glared murderously at her friend and his Pokemon who backed up nervously.

"Come on Leaf it was just a joke." Ash defended as Leaf glare intensified.

"Oh, a joke huh. You think this is funny Ash Ketchum!" Leaf demanded as she pointed to her frizzy hair.

"...Yes."

"That's it!" Before Leaf could attack her friend, Rose appeared behind her daughter. Grabbing her by her bag, Rose stopped Leaf in her tracks.

"Don't worry Leaf. We can take care of this back at the house. Ash, it was good to see you." Rose said as she held back a laugh at the children's antics.

"I'll get you ASH KETCHUM!" Leaf swore as Bulbasaur waved goodbye with a vine.

"You shouldn't egg her on like that Ash," Delia said with a giggle.

"I couldn't help it, mom. She lined me up for it." Ash joked as Pichu climbed up his body to perch himself on Ash's shoulder.

"Before you go, honey," Delia said as she hugged her son. "Make sure your careful out there. You and your Pokemon are a team. You have to rely on each other. And most importantly." Delia leaned in real close. "Don't forget to change your underwear!"

"MOM!"

* * *

Walking down Route 1 with his own Pokemon was an amazing experience. Charmander happily walking by his side while Pichu was perched on his shoulder. The small mouse was warming up to him, just as quickly as Charmander. Never once did he imagine to start his journey off so smoothly.

"Alright, guys we need to plan for some of the challenges ahead. We're gonna skip the Viridian Gym for now. Dad told me the Gym leader there only takes experienced challengers, so that means we should head to Pewter City instead." Both Charmander and Pichu nodded in agreement. "Charmander you already know a pretty nifty move with Metal Claw," Ash stated as Charmander puffed his chest out. "I think we need to work on some of your wide range moves, like Flame Burst or Dragon Rage." Now that he actually thought about it he had never scanned Pichu before he left Pallet Town. He pulled out his Pokedex and pointed toward Pichu.

_"Pichu_, _the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. Pichu__ is still inept at retaining electricity. When it is startled, it discharges power accidentally. It gets better at holding power as it grows older. This Pichu is male and knows the moves Thundershock, Quick Attack, Double Team, and Shock Wave. Note: This Pokemon has a larger amount of electricity than normal. Caution is warned."_ The device readout as Ash went over everything. Pichu was a powerful little guy.

"Looks like we need to focus on the opposite with you Pichu. Thundershock and Shock Wave are great long-range attacks. I think you still need some help with Shock Wave though. Iron Tail would be a good close-range attack for you to learn." Ash said with a smile as Pich pumped its small arm in excitement. Ash was quickly discovering that his little Electric-type liked to battle, but his small size and unstable power must have made it difficult for him. "Hope you guys are ready because we're going to start training now!"

"Char!"

"Pi!"

Both Pokemon were more than ready. Ash didn't want to do anything too strenuous. After all, Charmander had fought both Gary's Squirtle and Pichu. Prof. Oak always stressed how all Pokemon need to be trained properly less you manage to injure them. He hammered this fact into Ash's head.

They stopped in a small clearing. Ash realized that he needed to be careful with practicing Fire attacks. It wouldn't do him much good to have his Trainer's License taken away because he started a forest fire.

"Alright Charmander. Dad always told me that the best way to learn new attacks is to focus your energy differently. When you use Ember, you spread your attack out in a small barrage. Flame Burst is a more concentrated amount of energy that explodes when it hits something." Charmander watched his trainer as he explained what he wanted him to do. "Now make sure you point up when you use your attack okay."

Ash stepped back as Charmander charged fire in his mouth before a large burst of Ember shot up and out of his mouth. Ash noticed that it was larger than before when he battled Gary. They must be on the right track. Charmander just needed to get used to the amount of power he used. Turning to Pichu on his shoulder, he gently picked him up and placed him on the ground.

"Now Iron Tail is about focusing energy into your tail and then using it to slam into your opponent," Ash explained to Pichu. "Now be careful Pichu. Right now we're just going to work on building power into your tail before we actually use it." Ash warned as Pichu began concentrating.

Ash grinned to himself as his Pokemon began to train. Day 1 was in the books and it was going to be a good one.

* * *

As the sun started to set Ash brought his Pokemon away from their training to gather firewood. Ash made a small pile and turned to Charmander. "Little help here buddy?" Charmander nodded before letting loose a small Ember at the pile.

"Perfect Charmander." Ash reached into his bag and pulled out a bag of food for Pokemon. It was his mother who taught how Pokemon needed specific nutrients to match their type. The one that she had given right was good for all Pokemon, but she had warned that in the future he would need to invest in food more aligned to his Pokemon's diet.

Sitting by the fire, Ash couldn't think anything he would rather be doing. His dad often told him of the crazy and downright bizarre adventures he would find himself in. Each story he heard from Silver, the more he wanted to get out and see the world. Ash wanted to do it all. He wanted to climb to the highest peak of Mt. Silver, dive in the deep waters of Hoenn, battle the strongest trainers, and see everything the Pokemon world had to offer. His mom said that the Ketchum men had this fire to them. Maybe it was why he was drawn to Charmander.

"You know I never did tell you guys what my goal is," Ash stated as his Pokemon finished their food. "I want to be strong. Stronger than anyone that was before me. I want everyone to acknowledge just how strong we are. " Charmander and Pichu nodded at their trainer. Charmander climbed on Ash's lap, careful not to burn his trainer with his tail flame. Pichu hoped on his shoulder.

"There's going to be challenges ahead of us that are going to seem impossible. But I know we can take anything that comes our way!" Ash said determined

"Char/Pi!" Both Pokemon called out in agreement. Ash thought he was pretty lucky. Not every trainer started their journey with friends like Charmander and Pichu. Both Pokemon had made amazing leeway into learning their new moves.

* * *

The next few days found Ash and his two friends continuing down the path. He was hoping to reach Viridian City soon. Maybe meet up with Leaf to see if she found any new Pokemon and to see how she was doing.

Charmander and Pichu were running around his legs playing a game between themselves.

_'They deserve to have some fun.' _Ash thought to himself as he watched them play. They had worked hard yesterday. Charmander was making good progress on Flame Burst and Pichu had begun to figure out how to build the necessary energy to make his tail as hard as steel.

While his Pokemon played Ash's mind wondered to the Pokemon that he had found in the area. Pidgey and Rattata were the most common. Those Pokemon were mostly harmless. Rattata could be annoying at times, but he didn't doubt his Pokemon could handle them. Next on the possible list was Hoothoot, but they disappeared during the day. Maybe an odd Bug-type from Viridian Forest. The one Pokemon he really feared being out and about was-

"AAAAHHH!" A scream broke him out of his thoughts and his Pokemon stopped playing and turned to the direction it came from. Charmander's eyes took on a sharpened look and he took off, Pichu and Ash not far behind him.

Running as fast as he could Ash came upon a sight that stopped him in his tracks. Flying through the air were numerous small brown and white Flying-types. Spearows. And a lot of them. Mew must have hated him or something because that was the one Pokemon he didn't want to see on his journey this early.

"Shit." Dad had warned him to be wary of the mean spirited avian Pokemon. One Spearow was no problem, but a whole flock was a different story. They were circling above something. A girl. Not even hesitating he gave his Pokemon orders.

"Charmander use Ember! Pichu give em a Thundershock!" Both Pokemon stepped in front of Ash and unleashed their attacks. Fire and electricity flew through the sky, striking numerous Spearows. "Keep it up, guys! I'll get the girl!" Ash ordered as he ran ahead to see the shaking girl crouched over something. The girl was wearing a white and yellow sundress with a straw hat that covered her face but did nothing to cover her long blonde hair. In her arms was a small Oddish that was covered in small scratches. _'Shes protecting it. Brave girl.'_ Ash thought as he grabbed her arm. Her head shot up in surprise and Ash got a good look of her eyes that were a shade of brown that was lighter his.

"Let's go!" Ash pulled her to her feet and with one look to his Pokemon, they were following him. He didn't want to be around here any longer then he needed to be. Spearow's were highly territorial and as his dad put it, meaner than shit. "Move those legs blondie!" Ash cried as ran.

"I don't think I can keep up!" The girl yelled out as the Spearow followed them. Charmander and Pichu shot down as many as they could, but the persistent birds were out for blood. Feathers entered Ash's vision and he stopped to raise his arms as a sharp beak pecked him. Ash ignored the pain and slapped the Spearow out of his way. More of them were coming their way.

"Charmander!" The tiny reptile roared as he jumped up with Metal Claw. He slashed about, letting his steel claws bring down several Spearows. Pichu sped past Ash and tackled into one Spearow with a Quick Attack.

"Pichu use Double Team!" Ash shouted and several copies of the small Electric-type appeared. Spearows begun to divebomb the copies and Ash hoped that could buy them more time. Charmander was back to shooting them down with Ember, while Pichu needed to catch his breath. Ash needed a plan. They couldn't keep this up. There were too many of these flying annoyances to keep this up.

Then all of a sudden a new cry broke through the calls of the Spearows. Something bigger was coming. The Spearows flew off in a different direction. They're frantic flapping giving away the fear they felt.

"We need to move. Now!" Ash said in a panic. If something scared away an entire flock of Spearow then it couldn't be good for them. He and the girl ran as something came into view. It was much larger than a Spearow. It's body composed of metallic feathers, while its wings were a shade of red. Its sharp beak glistened in the sunlight.

"SKARMORY!" The Steel/Flying-type screeched. He couldn't believe his luck. His second day as a trainer and he was facing a Skarmory.

"Charmander use Ember! Pichu give it a Thundershock!" Ash ordered as hs Pokemon shot out their attacks and Skarmory dodged them. He went over all the facts that he knew about Skarmory. They had a great defense, the best of any Flying-type, and were pretty strong with physical attacks. They were fast as well. He was lucky both his Pokemon had a type advantage but they were both noticeably tired. He would need to think on his feet with this one. "Just my freaking luck..." Ash muttered to himself as he focused on the challenge ahead of him. He turned to the girl.

"You need to go find another trainer," Ash said, his eyes never leaving the battle before him. The Skarmory zoomed in with speed that was far greater than Charmanders or Pichu. Its sharp beak Pecked at the two smaller Pokemon who cried out in pain. "Charmander block its beak with Metal Claw!" Charmander raised it's metallic claws and countered each Peck attack. "I'll distract Tweetie here."

"I'm not going to leave you!" The girl protested as Ash continued to command his Pokemon.

"Look, lady. There's a powerful Pokemon in front of us and if me and my Pokemon get overpowered than we are going to be in a lot of trouble! So go find another trainer! And hurry!" Ash pointed out as Skarmory flew in with its wings glowing metallic. "Crap that's Steel Wing... Pichu use your Double Team and confuse it!" Multiple copies appeared in front of Skarmory who stopped in its tracks to find the right Pichu. They surrounded the steel bird who looked around in a rage.

The girl nodded in defeat. "Fine, but I'll be back with help." She started to take off before stopping and turning to Ash. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ash. Now go!" Ash turned and glared at the Skarmory. "Let's go you overgrown Pidove." The Skarmory seemed to take offense and glared back. "Oh, you didn't like that? Then you'll hate this. Charmander use Flame Burst!" Charmander charged up the burning energy and let loose a ball of fire.

Skarmory actually looked at the attack in worry. Ash smirked as the fireball flew at Skarmory. The smirk turned to a worried frown as the fireball died out before it got even close to Skarmory.

"Shit." Almost had it. "Pichu use Shock Wave!" While Charmander took a second to gather more energy, Pichu jumped into the air and let loose a bolt of blue electricity that hit Skarmory mid-air. The Pokemon cried out in pain as electricity surged through its body. Pichu landed on the ground before it collapsed in exhaustion.

"Pichu!" Ash called out as he ran to the little electric type. He crouched down and picked up Pichu and cradled him in his arms. Skarmory slowly stood up and glared at Ash with fierce eye's. With a flap of its wings, Skarmory was in the air. It was speeding up before it did a mid-air loop and charged at Ash. Ash used his body as a last-ditch effort to protect Pichu. Everything seemed to slow down as Skarmory's large body got closer and closer to Ash.

Ash knew he was dead. Once Skarmory's steel beak hit him he would be dead. But at least he saved the girl and him and his Pokemon put up a good fight. Skarmory was closer and closer before stopping due to a large vortex of flames engulfing it.

"Fire Spin?" He turned to see Charmander was the cause of the flamming vortex. The large flames were spewing from its mouth. "Way to go Charmander!" Ash cheered as Charmander stopped his attack. Skarmory's burnt body dropped from the sky. Its hardened steel body was covered in light burns and singe marks and Ash realized this was his chance.

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a Pokeball and launched it at the downed Steel-type. Ash held his breath as the Pokeball shook three times before closing with a snap.

"HA take that Gary!" Ash cheered as he jumped up in the air in celebration. A Skarmory was an amazing Pokemon to capture and had done on his second day as a trainer. Charmander and Pichu celebrated with their trainer by jumping around with him. All three of them froze as exhaustion and pain, filled their bodies. "Ow, ow. Okay, maybe we celebrated a little bit early..."

"Char." Charmander moaned in agreement as all three looked up into the sky. Storm clouds were sitting in and Ash knew him and his team would need to find cover soon. Ash scooped both of his Pokemon into his arms. Charmander was already injured if his tail flame was anything to go by.

"Let's roll guys." Even as he flinched in pain from using his injured arm to cradle Pichu, the thought of dropping the little mouse never crossed his mind.

* * *

"Hold still Charmander. I need to spray this potion on your injuries." Ash said as he tried to take care of the fidgeting Fire-type. He and his team were taking cover in a cave as rain poured outside. As soon as he had used the last of the potion on Charmander and reached into his bag and pulled out his Pokedex.

"Best time to check on Skarmory I guess," Ash stated with a laugh.

_"__Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon. Because Skarmory nests in briers and is constantly scratched by thorns, its wings become razor-sharp. This Skarmory is male and knows the moves Peck, Steel Wing, Swift, and Agility._

Ash whistle impressed before grinning. "You know guys if we can take on a Skarmory, then that means we are on the right path," Ash announced as he went over everything he knew about Skarmory. He needed to check his Pokedex for something. His eyes read over more information about Skarmory. "How did you get out here though? A Skarmory near Viridian City... Why haven't more people heard about this?" Skamory were powerful Pokemon that had great typing. The fact that he found the armored bird here was downright strange.

The storm was starting to clear up which was the first good thing to happen to him today. As the sun peaked through the clouds, Ash stepped out of the cave and watched as a rainbow formed. And then something came into his view.

It was magnificent. Even from the distance, he was at he could see how large and powerful this Flying-type was. Its's body was covered in a golden light as it flew around the rainbow. Ash went over every Pokemon that he knew that could match this Pokemon and he could only think of one. His Pokedex just confirmed his suspicions.

_"There is no data. There are still Pokemon yet to be identified." _Ash had heard of Pokemon that had yet to be studied up close. Legendaries they were called. Pokemon of immense power. Capable of causing natural disasters and controlling the elements better than any other Pokemon.

"Ho-Oh..." Ash mumbled in amazement. His Pokemon were watching the Rainbow Guardian with wide eyes as it disappeared into the distance. "Awesome..."

Best. Day. Ever.

* * *

Walking to Viridian was harder than he thought it would be. With Charmander and Pichu returned to their Pokeballs all he had to do was keep going until he finally reached the city and the Pokemon Center that was there.

"ASH!" A familiar voice called to him. It was the girl from before with someone else following her. It was a girl about their age with orange hair wearing a white top with red stripes going down the side and blue jean shorts.

"Hey, blondie!" Ash said with a smile as he stopped to greet them. "And you brought a friend, cool."

"Oh, my Arceus your arm! Those Spearows got you good." The girl said as they both checked over Ash's arm. He began to fidget slightly from the attention.

"Come on it's not that bad," Ash said with a nervous chuckle.

"As a healer in training, I can tell you that this needs to be taken care of before it gets worse." The blond-haired girl stated as she looked the arm over.

"Hehe, I swear it's not that bad," Ash said sheepishly. "I really need to get my Pokemon treated. That flock of Spearows did a number on them. Skarmory didn't help matters."

"I still can't believe there was a Skarmory out here. Are you sure you didn't just see a Fearow, Yellow?" The orange-haired girl asked.

"No, it was a Skarmory." He patted the Pokeball. "Trust me."

"You captured it?" The now named Yellow asked in shock.

"Barely. If Charmander hadn't learned Fire Spin when he did I'd be a goner."

"Wow..." Yellow said in surprise.

"Yellow do you mind introducing me."

"Oh! Ash this is my friend Misty." For some reason, that name sounded familiar to Ash. He just didn't know why.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ash Ketchum." He greeted as the trio started walking.

"So you must be a new rookie trainer as well?" Misty asked. "Probably from Pallet Town right?"

"That's right. Just started yesterday actually."

* * *

Viridian City was finally coming into view and Ash could have cheered. He was tired and injured. Walking into the Pokemon Center he immediately headed towards the Nurse Joy on duty.

"Oh my!" She said as he took in Ash's tattered state. His arm was covered in numerous scratches from the furious Spearow that got his hits in.

"Bad run-in with a flock of Spearow," Ash said to the nurse as he handed his Pokeballs to her. "I'll be fine after I get cleaned up, but my Pokemon took some damage."

"I'll make sure they're taken care of. Now you need to get those checked out." Nurse Joy ordered with a smile as she walked away with Pokemon.

"You heard the nurse hotshot. Follow us." Misty said as she and Yellow led him to a nearby table. Yellow had a first aid kit ready as they sat down. She opened the box and pulled out a small case that was filled with a paste and some bandages.

"So how happy are you to be in Viridian?" Yellow asked with a teasing grin as she rubbed the paste on his arm. It stung for a second, but Ash ignored it to focus on Yellow.

"You have no idea." Ash returned with a grin of his own.

"Thank you for back there. If you hadn't come along when you did me and Oddish would have been bird food." Yellow said as she started to rap up his arm.

"If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you fight back?"

Yellow looked down in embarrassment.

"Yellow doesn't like to battle Pokemon," Misty answered for her friend as Yellow shot her a look.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that," Ash said as he watched the two girls look at him in surprise.

"Really?" Yellow asked surprise in her voice as she finished up.

"Of course. Why would there be something wrong with that?"

"Being this close to Indigo Plateau and having a gym here brings in a lot of trainers. Veteran trainers that have been battling their entire lives. The idea of not battling offends some people."

"I like battling Pokemon," Ash said with a smile. "But that doesn't mean I want them to get needlessly hurt." Both his dad and Prof. Oak had stressed that Pokemon were not machines. That they could be hurt as easily as a person. "Besides there's way more to Pokemon than just battling."

"I don't like seeing them hurt at all. But I also know that our entire world revolves around it. So I try to do my part for both humans and Pokemon." Yellow said as she stood up.

"So you have an Oddish right. Any other Pokemon-" Before Ash could finish his question some pulled him back. He landed on his back in a daze. Looking up he saw the smiling face of Leaf.

"Payback sucks right?" Leaf teased as Ash sat up with his own smile.

"It's nice to see you to Leaf." Leaf finally noticed his arm.

"What happened to your arm!?"

"Hotshot here ran into a flock of Spearows today," Misty said as she watched two. Leaf looked at the two new faces.

'And who are you two?"

"I'm Misty."

"I'm Yellow and Ash actually saved me and my Oddish from the flock of Spearow."

Leaf looked at Ash sternly. "You know when your mom finds out she's gonna freak right."

"Why do you think I'm taking my sweet time on calling her," Ash confessed as he stood up and made his way over to the video phones. Putting in the right numbers he waited to see his mother's face appear on the screen. The screen went from black to his mother's smiling face.

"Hello? Ash! Good to see you!" Delia said in happiness.

"Hey, mom. I reached Viridian City."

"In good time. It took me close to three days to reach Viridian City when I first started out. Did you manage to catch some Pokemon?"

"You could say that," Ash said sheepishly as he scratched his head with his wrapped up arm

"My goodness Ash what happened to your arm!?" Delia asked with wide eyes. She leaned in closer trying to get a better look.

"Nothing too bad! Just had a run-in with a pesky Spearow. Charmander and Pichu took care of it." Ash said trying to cover his tracks. Best to not mention that there was a flock of them.

Delia shook her head. "Only that could happen you on your second day as a trainer."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"I hope you're not thinking about taking on the Viridian Gym. Giovanni only battles trainers that are experienced and have more than six badges."

"No way. I may be reckless, but I'm not clueless." Giovanni was thought to be the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto and it wouldn't do him any good to go and get destroyed by one of the most powerful trainers in Kanto on his second day.

"Then your heading to Pewter City."

"Yep should be there in a couple of days after crossing through the forest."

"Be careful Ash," Delia warned as Ash nodded in agreement. Viridian Forest was far from the most dangerous place in Kanto, but to a rookie trainer, it could be a challenge.

"I will mom. I'll call you when I get to Pewter City."

"Bye honey!" As the screen turned to back to black, Ash sighed in relief. His mom could be scary when she wanted to be. He and his dad could vouch for that.

"So you didn't tell your mom everything?" Leaf asked with a smirk.

"Hell no. You know how scary my mom is." Ash replied as a shudder went through his body. Leaf giggled at Ash as Yellow and Misty walked over.

"So your heading for Pewter?" Misty asked with a shudder. "Good luck with that! Viridian Forest is full of creepy Bug-types!" Misty grimaced.

"Come on now Misty, Bug-types aren't so bad," Yellow said to her.

"Says you. One minute your sleeping peacefully. Another minute and a Spinarack is crawling over you." Misty shrieked causing numerous people to look at her.

_"Ash Ketchum your Pokemon are ready for pickup."_ A voice called over the intercom.

"I'll be right back," Ash said to the three girls as he moved his way back to the Nurse Joy. He wanted to check on his new Skarmory and introduce himself to the steel bird. Reaching the front desk was the Nurse Joy from before holding out his three Pokeballs.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"Your very welcome Mr. Ketchum."

"Are there any rooms left?" A bed would do him wonders tonight.

"There are. There is one more room left. A single. Would you like-"

"Hold up!" A voice interrupted. It was another teenage boy about Ash's age with brown hair wearing a black t-shirt and green pants. "I was here first looking for a room!"

"I'm sorry young man, but Mr. Ketchum asked for it first." Ash actually felt bad. He knew how trainers would love to have a bed when they could and he was nothing but fair.

"How about a wager. A two on two Pokemon battle. If I win then I get the room and vice versa."

The boy thought it over before grinning. "Deal."

"Well since that is settled. You may use the battlefield here to have this contest." Nurse Joy supplied.

"Before we get started my name is Ash."

"Cool, my name is Trace." The other boy said as they walked to the battlefield. It was a large dirt field with white markings that formed a large rectangle with two boxes on each end.

"Ash! What are you doing?" Leaf asked as she, Yellow, and Misty met up with outside.

"Getting some training in," Ash answered simply as he reached down to his belt and picked his Pokemon. "Since I brought up the challenge, you go first."

"That's fine." Trace said as he picked his own Pokemon. "Let's go Eevee!" A small brown canid Pokemon appeared before Ash. The tip of its tail and the collar of fur around its neck were a cream color and the dark brown eyes had a determined glint to them.

"Eev!" Eevee barked as it ran around its trainer. Ash eyed the Pokemon in shock, not expecting a Pokemon as rare as Eevee to appear. He thought it over before he nodded and tossed out his own Pokemon.

"Let's go Pichu!" Ash's electric-type appeared well-rested and ready to rock. "Ready for our first battle together Pichu?"

Pichu nodded happily at his trainer then turned to face his opponent. Sparks generated on Pichu's face as he locked eyes with Eevee who growled in return.

"You just caught this little guy! My Eevee is my starter Pokemon. Their's no way Pichu can beat him."

"We'll see about that," Ash said with eyes narrowed. "Since you chose first, I'll let you have the first move."

"Your loss. Eevee use your Headbutt!" The small fox charged at Pichu with its head lowered.

"Use Iron Tail Pichu!" Pichu's tiny tail glowed a metallic color and Ash could have cheered. Pichu and Eevee collided in the middle of the field. Iron Tail versus Headbutt in a stalemate before both were forced back.

"Thundershock Pichu!" A small bolt of electricity was released from Pichu's body and went flying toward Eevee.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" Eevee disappeared in a burst of speed, avoiding the Thundershock.

"Double Team!" Ash ordered and one Pichu soon became numerous. Eevee tackled right through one of the copies. "Now Thundershock!" This time the bolt of electricity hit Eevee, causing the small fox to squeal in pain.

"Eevee!" Trace called out as Pichu's attack ended. "Get up and use Sand Attack!" Eevee slowly stood up before turning ad using its back legs to kick sand at Pichu. Sand filled Pichu's vision who cried out and closed his eyes in discomfort. "Now hit Pichu with a Double Kick!" Eevee jumped at Pichu and used its hind legs to kick Pichu who went flying back.

"Pichuu!" Pichu moaned in pain as he slowly stood back up.

"Pichu use Shock Wave!" If Pichu couldn't see then he would have to use a move that didn't miss. Pichu generated the right amount of electricity which he then released in a blue bolt of electricity. The attack hit Eevee head on who cried out as the much more powerful electric attack struck it.

"That one look like it hurt," Misty said with a wince as Eevee slowly got to its feet.

"Those two little guys are tougher than they look," Yellow noted as Pichu charged at Eevee with an Iron Tail.

"Leave it to Ash to have all the fun." Leaf said dryly as Pichu and Eevee clashed again. Pichu was trying to hit Eevee with his metallic tail while Eevee was trying to smash into Pichu with a Headbutt. Neither one was able to get the other.

"Use Quick Attack!" Both trainers ordered as each pokemon sped up and slammed into each other.

"Grab on to Eevee, Pichu! Then use your Thundershock!" Ash called out as Pichu used his tiny arms to grab onto his larger opponent. Once he was firmly gripped on Pichu smiled deviously before charging up a point-blank Thundershock. Eevee was lit up from the attack.

All three of the girls winced from the attack. Pichu jumped off Eevee, panting from the amount of electricity it had used. Eevee was out cold. Ash ran up and grabbed Pichu as he was about to fall back. Using Iron Tail so soon after learning it and Shock Wave in the same battle had worn the little guy out.

"You did awesome Pichu," Ash said to little Pokemon who cheered in joy. "Do you want to hang out here on my shoulder for the rest of the battle?" Pichu nodded vigorously. Ash figured out quickly that Pichu didn't like being in a Pokeball. Charmander was indifferent to the orbs and would easily go into his Pokeball.

"Ready for round 2 Ash?" Trace asked as he recalled Eevee.

"Yeah and I'll choose first this time. Let's go Charmander!" Ash called out as Charmander appeared in a flash of light. The tiny lizard gave out a roar as he stretched his arms out in preparation.

"I choose you, Pidgeotto!" Trace said as he threw out his own Pokeball. Appearing before Ash was a large brown and white feather bird Pokemon. Pidgeotto gave out a cry as it flew through the air.

"Pidgeotto!"

Charmander glared at his larger opponent as his tail flame grew slightly larger and a grin appeared on his face. He wanted to battle as much as Ash did.

"Weird day to run into so many Flying-types," Ash said to himself as he scratched his cheek in thought. "Must be out to get me..." Ash shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Let's get started Charmander! Use Ember!" Ash ordered and Charmander let loose a barrage of small fireballs at Pidgeotto.

"Block it with Gust." Trace ordered. Pidgeotto flapped its wings and a large gust of wind formed which stopped the Ember attack. The gust of wind continued on until it struck Charmander and forced the Fire-type into the air. "Now use Wing Attack." Pidgeotto zoomed in with glowing wings before and clipped Charmander in its torso and sent him right back down. Charmander smashed into the ground.

"Shake yourself off Charmander," Ash said as Charmander got up with a few bruises and scrapes on him. He growled at the Pidgeotto who continued to circle Charmander from above.

_'Ember is too weak, but Flame Burst might be strong enough.' _Ash thought to himself.

"Charmander jump and use Flame Burst!"

Charmander let loose one large fireball at Pidgeotto. It flew through the air and wasn't fully formed, yet it looked a lot better then it did when used against Skarmory.

"Move Pidgeotto!" Trace ordered. Pidgeotto swiftly dodged the Flame Burst, but it exploded behind Pidgeotto who felt the flames from the explosion strike its back.

"Now use Hone Claw, then follow it up with Metal Claw!" Charmander charged up energy around its claws causing them to grow longer. His claws then were covered in metallic energy. He charged at the falling Pidgeotto before jumping up and slashing his claws at the Flying-type, striking Pidgeotto across its face.

"Use Roost Pidgeotto!" Trace ordered as Pidgeotto glowed white as energy was restored and wounds healed. It flapped its wings and stabilized itself. "Now use Twister!"Pidgeotto flapped its wings again but this time a tornado formed and flew through the air at Charmander.

"Counter with Fire Spin!" Ash ordered. Charmander let a flaming vortex erupt from its mouth and the two attacks collided and ended in an explosive stalemate. Ash and Trace sent each other determined looks.

"Metal Claw!"

"Wing Attack!"

Both Pokemon charged at the other. Charmander's Metal Claw clashing against Pidgeotto's Wing Attack. The two Pokemon met in the middle of the field striking each other. Everything seemed to stop as both Pokemon struggled to stay standing.

"Charmander give it all you got and use Flame Burst!" Ash commanded as Charmander charged the attack.

"Pidgeotto use your Gust and blow it away!" Trace said in desperation.

The fireball that Charmander released flew through the air as Pidgeotto let loose a powerful gust of wind at it, but it had the opposite effect that he wanted. Instead of overpowering it the attack like Ember, it caused the attack to go off and explode point-blank in Pidgeotto's face. The avian Pokemon fell from the sky covered in burns and roughly hit the ground.

"Pidgeotto!" Trace called out as he ran to his downed Pokemon. Ash ran to Charmander who was jumping up in joy.

"Way to go, pal. I knew you could do it." Ash congratulated. Charmander pumped his arms up as he Ash fist-bumped.

"Well, that was entertaining. Way to go Ash." Leaf said with a grin as she lightly punched him on the arm. "You and Charmander were cutting that one close there." She teased.

"Say what you will, but right now I have more experience than you." Ash joked as Pichu jumped down to join his teammate.

"Haha very funny." Leaf replied as they walked over to Trace. The boy looked dejected at his loss.

"Well, a deal is a deal. The room is yours..." Trace mumbled.

"If you to dummies had waited you would have heard my counter-proposal," Yellow said as she and Misty joined them. "There's a spare bedroom at my house. If I talk to my uncle I'm sure he'd let one of you stay the night." Both Ash and Trace looked at her in disbelief before looking at each other and bursting out laughing.

"Yeah but this way at least we got to have a sweet battle!" Ash said to her with a cheeky grin as Trace nodded in agreement.

"This away I was able to see how strong my Pokemon are and where we need to improve," Trace added as he looked at Ash. "Next time we battle things are going to be different."

"Yeah if you can keep up." Ash challenged

Misty, Leaf, and Yellow shook their heads.

_'Boys!'_ All three of them thought.

* * *

"A Skarmory you say. Yes, that is unusual." Oak pondered as Ash told him about his recent capture. "The only explanation I can think of is that this Skarmory is young and was chased out by an older, more experienced rival. The Pokemon that live on Mt. Silver are notably stronger than usual and it must have flown its way out here."

"That's the conclusion that I've come up with." Ash returned with a nod.

"Your very lucky Ash to come out of this unharmed. Skarmory can be very dangerous. The fact you didn't get hurt is a miracle."

"There's something else I need to talk to you about Professor."

"Oh? What is it, Ash?"

"After it rained today, I saw something. Something incredible!"

"What was it, Ash?" Oak inquired.

"It was a Ho-" Before Ash could finish and tell the screen went black and all the lights went out. "What the hell?" Ash looked around in confusion. Standing up he decided to look around to see if he could find someone. The Pokemon Center was relatively empty right now, with most trainers going to their room to get ready to go to bed.

"Hello?" Ash said aloud. Leaf was back in her room with Yello and Misty while Trace had gone off to his own room. His Pokemon were back with Nurse Joy getting checked over after their battle earlier. All except one of his Pokemon that is.

"This is weird." If dad was here he would make a joke about being in a horror movie. Coming around a corner he saw two people sneaking around the front desk. "Hey, do you two know what's going on around here?" Ash asked them as they stood up alarmed.

"AAAHHH!" The two yelled out as they jumped up in shock. Ash eyed them warily. They were rather strange-looking people. The first person was a woman in her mid-twenties that had long magenta-colored hair and was wearing a white t-shirt that seemed to stretch across her sizeable chest, black gloves that stretched up her arm, a white skirt, and black heeled boots that went all the way up to her knees.

The man standing next to her was about the same age and had blue-ish lavender hair. He was wearing similar clothes to the woman. A white long sleeve shirt. black gloves that ended on at his elbow, white pants, and black boots. Both of them had a large R on their shirts and Ash was reminded of a conversation he had with his father about people dressed like this. They were some kind of criminals.

"Damn its only a twerp." The woman said as she glared at Ash.

"That twerp scared the hell out of me." The man said as he grabbed a Pokeball of his belt. "Just one more thing to take care of I suppose." A banging noise came from a room that was behind the front counter. A

"You guys are whack jobs you know that right." Ash insulted without any fear in his voice. "Are you supposed to be thieves?"

"Do you have any idea who we are! Let's give him the motto James!"

"Right Jessie!" The man said in agreement.

"To protect the world-"

"AHH get that devil mouse away from me!" A voice interrupted them. Tearing through a back hallway was cream-colored Pokemon running on two legs. A look of pure fear was on the Meowth's face. Right behind it was a pissed off Pichu.

"Meowth are you alright?" James asked as Meowth jumped on top of him.

"No! I was minding my own business when this little snot zapped me!" The Meowth shrieked to Ash's shock.

"Okay time out. Did that Meowth just talk?" Ash questioned in confusion. Just when he thought his day couldn't get any weirder.

"The twerp is gonna get it," Jessie growled as she grabbed a Pokeball. "Go Ekans!"

"You too Koffing!"

A long serpentine Pokemon appeared. It had a purple scaled body with yellow markings on it. The other Pokemon was a floating purple sphere with geyser-like markings on its skin. The Ekans let out a loud hiss as its eyes locked onto Pichu. "Once we deal with you and that runt by your side. Stealing all the Pokemon here will be easy."

"Two on one huh," Ash muttered to himself as he glared at them. Not for long. "Skarmory let's go!" Ash said as he threw the Pokeball. Charmander was back there in recovery from his battle earlier and would not risk these clowns getting him. This wasn't how he wanted his first interaction with Skarmory to go, but if there was one Pokemon that could deal with an Ekans and Koffing, it would be Skarmory.

"Skar!" The steel bird shrieked as it stepped in front of the two Poison-types, its yellow eyes glaring with rage. The two thieves backed up at the sight of the fierce Steel Type.

Before Ash could even give an order, Skarmory flew at the two Poison-types with wings glowing. Skarmory slammed into both of them with his Steel Wing, causing Ekans and Koffing to go flying back.

"Ok, maybe it wasn't a good idea to let Skarmory loose on these guys..." Ash said as he and Pichu watched Skarmory wreck the thieve's Pokemon. Skarmory was hovering over the two now and was using Peck on each of them.

"Fight back Ekans. Use Poison Sting!" Jessie ordered

"Use Sludge Koffing!" James added.

Ekans released several purple needles from its mouth while Koffing spewed out a dark brown sludge. Both attacks hit Skarmory causing the three thieves to laugh.

"Take that you damn twerp," Jessie said with a smirk. Both of the opposing trainers finally noticed that Skarmory looked fine. In fact, it seemed to be glaring even harder at them.

"You guys now that Poison moves don't work on Steel-types right?" Ash asked with a smirk as Skarmory lifted up one of its wings and with a flap sent several golden energy stars at Jessie, James and Meowth. Pichu stepped forward as well and released a powerful burst of blue electricity. The two attacks hit the thieve's Pokemon who crumpled over fainted.

"That twerp thrashed us." Meowth cried as he looked at the two downed Poison-types. Flashing lights appeared outside the Pokemon Center causing Jessie and James to panic.

"We need to get out of here!" Jessie declared as she and James returned their Pokemon. "This isn't over you brat! You'll see Team Rocket again!" The strange group pushed their way out of the building and ran off into the night leaving Ash to wonder just who Team Rocket was. His father had led him to believe that Team Rocket was an elite criminal organization.

Those two were the bottom of the barrel apparently.

"What's going on?" Leaf's voice came from behind him and he turned to see her, Yellow and Misty. Leaf and Misty looked ready for a fight while Yellow looked around worried.

"I could ask the same thing!" A tall woman wearing a police officers uniform said as she ran with a Growlithe following her. "I got a call from the Nurse Joy on duty who said that Pokemon thieves were trying to break into the Pokemon Center and now I find you here with a dangerous Pokemon!"

"Hey, Skarmory isn't dangerous!" Ash defended his Pokemon as Skarmory gave him a strange look. Ash felt Skarmory lightly Peck him on the side of his head. It didn't hurt but it was annoying. Skarmory glared at Ash before pointing his talon foot at his Pokeball. "Alright, I get it jeez..." Ash mumbled as he returned his Pokemon.

"Not dangerous huh," Jenny said with a frown and a raised eyebrow as her Growlithe growled at Ash. Before she could further accuse Ash of a crime, the door opened and Nurse Joy walked out.

"Jenny stop this! Mr. Ketchum here defended this Center from Team Rocket." Joy informed.

"What! Team Rocket was here!" Misty interrupted as she stepped forward. "But they usually stick to cities like Saffron and Celadon don't they?"

"Not tonight apparently," Jenny said as she glanced at Ash. "You were brave tonight kid. And very foolish! Why would you battle Team Rocket?"

"Maybe because they weren't at all scary," Ash said with a shrug. His dad's Salamence was terrifying and when he was a kid his mom's Mr. Mime scared the hell out of him. That weird trio was the farthest thing from scary though.

"Your lucky young man," Jenny said as she and her Growlithe ent to talk to Joy. Ash felt someone smack the back of his head.

"Do you go looking for trouble!" Leaf said as she smacked his arm next.

"Ow, would you quit it. It's not like a could let them get away with what they were doing." Ash replied as he rubbed his arm. He had stumbled on those idiots.

"Ash I don't think you understand what you did tonight. Team Rocket is a very real threat here in Kanto." Misty warned.

Ash nodded as Pichu jumped up to his shoulder. Maybe Team Rocket was a threat. But he couldn't just ignore something like them if he could stop it.

Nurse Joy walked up to them. "Jenny has assured me that she is reporting this to the Viridian Gym Leader. Thank you sincerely for what you did here tonight."

"It was nothing," Ash said with a nod as she handed him Charmander's Pokeball. He was happy to have his friend back with him.

"Have a good night everyone." The nurse said as they walked away.

"Are you ready to head out Ash?" Yellow asked.

"Yep it's been a long day and I'm ready to forget most of it," Ash said as he waved to Misty and Leaf. "I'll see you girls tomorrow." With Ash and Yellow were off.

"He's an interesting guy," Misty said as she turned to make her way back to her room.

"You have no idea." Leaf said as she shook her head with a smile. Ash Ketchum was a lot of things and interesting was just one of them. It was going to be fun to see what kind of crazy happened around him.

* * *

Bam! There's a big chapter for you. I'm having so much fun writing this, guys and I'm glad that you seem to be enjoying it as well. What did you think of Skarmory? I wanted to give Ash a Pokemon that people don't usually go with. Then I thought about what Pokemon could give a young trainer problems and it came to me. I'll give him a Skarmory.

Few other notes before I go. One: Thank you for the readers that are looking out for me and giving me awesome ideas about what Pokemon to give Ash. Two: Yellow is based off the character from Pokemon Adventures while Trace is based off your rival from Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee. You'll have to see if there's more to come from either of them. Three: Pokemon will have more than four moves because that makes for a better story in my opinion. Wild Pokemon will only know four moves.

Next Time: Ash continues his journey by traveling through Viridian Forest and finally reaching Pewter City.

As always I own none of this.

* * *

Ash's Pokemon

Charmander- Metal Claw, Hone Claw, Ember, Smokescreen, Flame Burst, and Fire Spin

Pichu- Thundershock, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Shock Wave, and Double Team

Skarmory- Peck, Steel Wing, Agility, Swift


	3. Chapter 3: Pewter City

Indigo Plateau was what many people in Kanto considered to be the most important place in Kanto. Sure it wasn't a place for businesses like Saffron City or a place for trading like Vermillion. The Indigo Plateau was home to the Indigo League and was the base of operations to the strongest trainers in Kanto/Johto.

"Mr. Lance? I have a new report for you."

Lance Wataru was the second strongest trainer in both Kanto and Johto. Right behind his boss the Champion. Sitting behind his desk he raised an eye as his secretary handed him a file. Lance was a tall man in his late twenties that had spiky hair that was a deep shade of red. He was wearing a long-sleeved red and black shirt, black pants, and red boots.

"Rockets in Viridian huh... They're getting braver with their attacks." Lance stated as he read the report. "Wait this can't be right..."

"Sir?"

"Is this information correct?!" Lance asked frantically as he stood up. His eyes had a shocked look to them.

"Why yes sir. A squad of Rockets tried to infiltrate the Viridian Pokemon Center only to meet resistance from a young trainer-"

"Named Ash Ketchum." Lance finished for her. "Has anyone alerted Silver-." Lance was caught off guard as a roar of rage erupted from one of the training rooms. "Nevermind I'll deal with that. Let Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha know what's going on."

"Right away sir." The secretary scurried off not wanting to deal with the enraged Champion.

Lance approached the training room carefully. Smashing noise could be heard from inside and Lance knew that this would be a long conversation.

* * *

"Pichu use Iron Tail," Ash ordered as the small rodent smashed his metallic tail to break a large rock into chunks. "Still not hard enough," Ash said as Pichu walked to his side. Ash checked his tail over. There were no injuries from the practice they done this morning. "Looks a bit tender now so we'll stop and let you rest," Ash said as the small Pokemon jumped up to his shoulder.

Ash had woken up earlier that morning, eager to get some training in before he headed into Viridian Forrest. Yellow and her uncle had been kind enough to share their guest room with him for the night and at the first crack of dawn, he was out working with his Pokemon.

He scratched Pichu on his cheek, who gave out a joyful cry. Iron Tail still needed some more work. If the attack had been perfect then he imagined that Pichu would have overpowered Trace's Eevee in their battle yesterday.

"We'll get Iron Tail mastered soon Pichu," Ash said as they walked to the Pokemon Center. Their training was going great. Charmander's Flame Burst and Fire Spin were coming along nicely. He had yet to work with Skarmory as the steel bird was giving him the cold shoulder so to speak. Skarmory's were prideful Pokemon, but Ash was determined to win the Pokemon's trust.

Viridian City wasn't a huge city but was still large enough that it took a good while to reach the Pokemon Center. He wondered what Leaf was up to and if she had already added any new Pokemon to her team.

"Hello, their Mr. Ketchum. What can I do for you?" Nurse Joy asked as Ash walked up to her.

"I was looking for my friend Leaf. She hasn't left yet has he?"

"She's using the battlefield right now." Joy answered. Ash nodded thanked the nurse and made his way over.

Leaf was standing on one side of the field while Misty was on the other side.

"You sure you want to do this Leaf?" Misty asked with a determined smirk.

"Oh yeah! I don't want to fall behind. Ash has already battled more trainers than me." Leaf answered with a grin. Misty nodded and threw out a Pokeball.

"Go Marill!" Appearing in a burst of light was a small round blue Pokemon with a white belly. Atop its head were round ears.

"Let's go Bulbasaur!" Leaf's Bulbasaur appeared. The small Grass-type growled as his eyes locked onto Marill.

"I hope your not banking on type advantage to beat me?" Misty challenged

"How about we get this started Misty."

"Marill go use Rollout!" Misy ordered

"Meet Marill head-on Bulbasaur with Take Down!" Ash watched as Marill compressed itself into a tight ball and begun to spin rapidly and sped at Bulbasaur as the Grass-type charged at great speed. The two Pokemon slammed into each other and were forced away.

"Use Water Gun, Marill!" A jet of water shot out of Marill's mouth and struck Bulbasaur in the face making the small green Pokemon go skidding back.

"Bulbasaur use Vine Whip on the ground." Long vines shot out of Bulbasaur's bulb and slammed into the ground causing the Seed Pokemon to be launched into the air. "Now use Razor Leaf!" In midair, Bulbasaur launched razor-sharp leaves that flew at Marill.

"Let the leaves hit you Marill!" Misty ordered as Marill stood completely still and let the leaves hit. Ash couldn't believe what he was seeing. What trainer allowed their Pokemon to be hit by a super-effective attack. Only the ones that wanted the attacks to hit.

The sharp leaves seemed to bounce off Marill's round body. Leaf and Bulbasaur's eyes widened as Marill was covered in a soft green glow. Ash pulled out his Pokedex to get a better understanding of what was happening.

_"Sap Sipper. Sap Sipper is a hidden ability that certain Pokemon can activate through special training." _The small red device explained as Ash nodded in understanding. Hidden abilities were useful abilities that he had honestly forgotten about. His dad's Salamence had the hidden ability Moxie which was very dangerous, especially with the power of a pseudo-legendary.

"Go Marill hit Bulbasaur with Rollout!" The still glowing Marill seemed to absorb the green glow into its body before spinning rapidly and zooming at Bulbasaur and smashing into the Grass-type. Bulbasaur went skidding back before glaring at Marill who seemed to be smug at outsmarting the other Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur use Growth." Leaf ordered. Bulbasaur's bulb was covered in light green energy. "Now use Take Down!"

"This again?" Misty asked with a smile. "Marill counter with Rollout!" Marill spun at the charging Bulbasaur.

"Jump Bulbasaur!" Leaf ordered. Bulbasaur jumped over the spinning Marill in a move that looked more acrobatic than Bulbasaur looked capable of. "Now use Sludge!" Like the Koffing from the day before, Bulbasaur spat out a large brown sludge that smacked into Marill. The Poison-type attack quickly went to work on the other Pokemon.

Ash smirked at the tactic displayed. Marill was a Water/Fairy-type. If Leaf couldn't attack the Water-type half of Marill, then she would just have to go after the Fairy-type half.

"Marill!" Misty cried out the small blue Pokemon struggled to its feet.

"Finish it Bulbasaur with Take Down!" The charging Bulbasaur smashed into the downed Marill. Ash and Pichu could only watch as Marill went tumbling through the air with noticeable swirls in its eyes. Misty returned her Marill with a disappointed sigh before walking over to talk with Leaf who was congratulating her starter.

"Great battle Leaf." Misty complimented. "I thought I had you when your Razor Leaf attack failed."

"That Sap Sipper took me by surprise-" Leaf said as she returned Bulbasaur.

"That was awesome!" Ash interrupted as he and Pichu walked up. A good battle always got him fired up. "Now it's my turn! Let's, Misty! Or Leaf. Heck, I'll take both of you on!"

"Maybe not right now Ash." Leaf said with a small laugh.

"Yeah, I need to get Marill checked out." Misty agreed.

"Dang it," Ash said dejectedly as Pichu patted his trainer's leg. "Well, I guess I'll get Pichu checked out before I head into Viridian Forest."

"You're going in there!?" Misty squealed in fright.

"Of course it's the fastest way to Pewter from here," Ash answered in confusion. Not to mention all the cool Pokemon he could add to his team if he went through it.

"But it's filled with bugs!" Misty said with a shudder.

"It's kind of a necessity Misty." Leaf said to the other girl.

"So? Bug-types are cool!" Ash said as he thought of the possible Pokemon that he could add to his team someday. A Scyther maybe. Something that packed a punch for sure.

"I'll never set foot in that forest. Bug-types are the absolute worst." Misty declared as she walked away to get Marill checked out. "I'll catch you guys later."

"That girl is weird."

"Ash!"

"What? She is..." To be fair he couldn't say he was normal either. Having parents as crazy as Silver and Delia would do that to a guy.

* * *

"You're leaving already?" Yellow asked as Ash grabbed his bag off the bed. After seeing the battle between Leaf and Misty, Ash was itching to get a move on. Viridian Forest was vast and could take him a couple of days to travel through. Plus there was the added bonus of adding new members to his team.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night Yellow, but I need to get to Pewter City." Getting his first badge was a test really to see if he could cut it as a trainer.

"He's right Yellow." Wilton, Yellow's uncle said in agreement. Wilton was in charge of catching Pokemon for newbie trainers. His specialty was in catching water Pokemon to give as a starter. The only Pokemon that Ash had seen of Wiltons was a strange red Water-type called Octillery. Its large eyes watched Ash and his Pokemon as soon as he walked into the house. "Brock is the gym leader that most rookie trainers decide to battle first. Not because he's a weak trainer, but because he's a good gauge to see where a trainer is."

"Charmander's got a mean Metal Claw and Pichu almost has Iron Tail down. I might need to catch another Pokemon because Skarmory is still a bit cold towards me." Ash was determined to win the bird over.

"It's a good plan. I also wanted to give you this." Wilton said as he handed Ash two items. One was a book with a large picture of a Goldeen printed on it while the other one was a collapsible fishing rod. "These are to thank you for saving Yellow. That book is the beginner's guide to fishing for Water Pokemon in case you ever need to catch one."

"Thank you, Wilton." A Water-type was on his list of Pokemon to catch. Maybe a Poliwag or something to help him battle.

"Good luck kid."

"And don't worry Yellow. I'll be in Viridian to battle Giovanni for my final Gym badge. By then you can see my final team and see how strong we've gotten." Ash said to the blonde with a smile.

"I'll hold you to that Ash Ketchum."

"It's a promise."

* * *

With a backpack filled with new supplies, Ash left Viridian City as quickly as he could. He wanted to get as far as he could to Pewter City before nightfall. Leaf had decided to stay longer to catch more Pokemon.

Charmander was enjoying the bright day, while Pichu stayed planted on Ash's shoulder. Ash was checking his Pokedex for any additional information on his two friends.

Charmander's abilities were Blaze, which was the standard ability for his species. Charmanders line also had access to a hidden ability called Solar Power. Through specialized training, a Charmander could transform some of its own energy onto a solar battery to power its attacks. This only happened though, when sunlight was extremely bright and it was at the expanse of his Pokemon's health. Using Solar Power to long could drain too much out of a Pokemon and be hazardous to a Pokemon's health.

Pichu's normal ability was Static. The ability to paralyze a foe if they made contact with Pichu. Lightning Rod was his hidden ability, which allowed Pichu to draw in electricity to power his attacks.

Ash was so caught up in reading up on his two little friends that he never noticed a nearby tree began to shake. Standing on one of the branches was a small white shaggy Pokemon. Its eyes were locked onto the three before it and then it jumped out.

Charmander immediately saw the oncoming Pokemon and moved to intercept it. With claws glowing a metallic gray it blocked the Pokemon and forced it back

Ash and Pichu turned to look at the new Pokemon.

"That's a Mankey," Ash said as he watched the small enraged monkey. Its eyes had an angered look to them. It charged again with its arm raised and glowing white.

"Block Karate Chop with Metal Claw!" Ash ordered as Charmander blocked the arm with one claw. "Now use our other claw!" Charmander followed his trainer's command and slashed Mankey with its other clawed hand and a grunt of pain was released from the Fighting-type and it stumbled back.

"Charmander use Ember." The small fireballs flew at Mankey and caused a small explosion. The Mankey collapsed on the ground in a burnt heap. Taking his chance then Ash threw a Pokeball at the downed Pokemon, catching it with a problem. Mankey would come in handy in his upcoming gym battle with Brock. With a bit more training it could become a real powerhouse.

"Alright let's check you out, Mankey."

_"Mankey: The Pig Monkey Pokemon. Mankeys live in large groups. They are light and agile on its feet, and ferocious in temperament. When angered, it flies into an uncontrollable frenzy. This Mankey is male and knows the moves Karate Chop, Focus Energy, Fury Swipes, and Low Kick. Note: This Pokemon has the Egg Move Beat Up. This Mankey has the ability Anger Point and the hidden ability Defiant._

"Nice. Seems like we have a real tough guy on our hands." Ash said as he looked at Mankey's Pokeball. Deciding to meet his Pokemon now, Ash threw the ball up and released his Mankey. The Pokemon appeared in front of Ash looking up in confusion. Charmander and Pich took protective stances by Ash in case Mankey tried anything.

"Hi, Mankey. I know you must be confused and angry still, but I caught you and was hoping you could be apart of our team and family."

Ash was expecting a lot of things. Maybe the small fighting Pokemon would attack him in defiance or ignore him completely. What he wasn't expecting was Mankey jumping at him joyously and hugging him around his neck.

"I guess you like that idea!" Ash said with a laugh. Mankey were social creatures that live for their family groups. One of the easiest ways to rile them up was to get them separated from their troop and they would go on a rampage until they found it again. Or in this case, found a new one. "Welcome to the team Mankey!"

Charmander and Pichu slowly approached the newest member. Mankey jumped down from Ash and greeted his new teammates. His body was still slightly sore from the beating Charmander gave him and he slowly approached them. Ash reached into his bag and pulled out an Oran Berry.

"Here Mankey. This should help you recover faster." Ash handed the blue fruit to Mankey who quickly gobbled it down. "That makes number four in our team," Ash said as the three Pokemon got used to each other. "Now let's get a move on! Pewter City awaits!"

* * *

Viridian Forest was huge. Massive trees that were crawling with Caterpie and Weedle surrounded Ash as he trekked through. He had returned Charmander and Mankey to there Pokeballs. Charmander due to his tail being on fire and the fear that with one wrong swing of his tail would catch a tree on fire so he was only released when there was a battle. Mankey had been returned for a different reason. The small Pokemon was a bundle of energy.

One minute it would be walking with Ash and another it would be climbing a tree to battle a nearby Pokemon. Ash thought it might be safer for Mankey if he spent some time in his Pokeball.

Pichu had finally managed to master his Iron Tail. Now when he hit objects with his steel enhanced tail he did major damage. He had already shown this by using it against several bug trainers that were littered throughout Viridian Forest. Charmander would have been major overkill to use on the weaker Bug Pokemon and Ash only used him against the stronger ones like Beedrill. Mankey was also improving by leaps and bounds. Mankey had great strength through its body and was easily able to smash his way through numerous trainer's Pokemon.

The only Pokemon not to see action yet was Skarmory and that was because the Pokemon still had issues with Ash. It wasn't aggressive with Ash but would go out of its way to ignore him. The worst thing it did was when he was annoyed he would lightly peck at Ash's head until Ash would return him.

"I need to figure out how to get Skarmory to respect me." That was the big issue between them. To truly win a Pokemon's trust and respect you had to defeat it in battle and show that you were stronger. But when Ash beat Skarmory he had used both Charmander and Pichu and the steel bird probably felt a bit jaded towards his capture. "I was hoping I would be able to use him in our battle against Brock."

Brock used Rock-types like Onix and Geodude. With Charmander knowing Metal Claw and Pichu knowing Iron Tail he had a decent chance, but know with Mankey on the team things were looking better.

"Hey, you!" Ash looked up to see another trainer wearing Bug catching gear, except this one seemed to mix samurai armor with it. "Tell me are you on your way to challenge Brock ?"

"Uh yeah." Confusion filled Ash's voice.

"This is the halfway point through Viridian Forest. My name is Jack and like the Samurai of old, I guard this forest with my fellow Bug-Catchers that you defeated. For those looking to pass to venture to Pewter City, they must defeat me in a battle."

"I like the sound of that, but why do I need to defeat you."

"I also stand as a test for rookie trainers. If they can defeat me in a three-vs-three battle, then they should be able to battle Brock. " The other teen stated as he pulled out a Net Ball. "Now since I challenged you I'll go first! I choose Pinsir!" Appearing before Ash was a large brown bipedal bug Pokemon. Atop its head was a set of large pincers that looked like they could do some real damage. Pinsir's were powerful Pokemon and if he wanted to be able to keep up with it he was going to need a Pokemon that could match it.

"Mankey I choose you!" The brown monkey appeared before him eager to battle.

"Mankey!" Mankey took a ready stance as he glared at the larger Pinsir who growled at the Fighting-type.

"I'll go first. Mankey strike with Karate Chop." With a burst of speed, Mankey appeared in front of Pinsir with a raised arm that was glowing white.

"Harden then Focus Energy." As Mankey smashed his arm onto Pinsir, it glowed for a brief second before it closed its eyes in concentration.

"Mankey get some distance from Pinsir." Focus Energy allowed for a concentrated burst of power to flow through an attack.

"Pinsir go after it and use Bug Bite!" Pinsir's fangs lengthened as it chased after Mankey who was able to keep out of the large Bug-types range.

"Mankey drop and use Low Kick." Mankey ducked under the charging Pinsir as one of his legs glowed white and he struck Pinsir in its side causing the large beetle to fall over. "Now hit it with Karate Chop and keep em coming!" Both of Mankey's arms glowed white and he brought one down Pinsirs back soon followed by the other arm.

"Pinsir use Harden once more!" Jack ordered as Pinsir's strengthened his body. Mankey continued to smash his arms on Pinsir back.

_'How much punishment can this Pinsir take?' _Ash thought to himself as Pinsir continued to take a beating.

"Pinsir use Vice Grip." With a speed that was quicker than Ash assumed, Pinsir stepped up and closed its large pincers around Mankey causing the Fighting-type to grunt in pain. It continued to get tighter as Mankey struggled to get free. Pinsir moved to its feet and raised Mankey into the air.

"Mankey use Focus Energy followed by Low Kick." Mankey stopped struggled and concentrated all its energy. When he was finished he slammed his glowing foot into Pinsir's face causing the beetle to release hid grip on Mankey. "Now use Fury Swipe!" Mankey's claws flashed white before they grew longer. Mankey then began to swipe his claws all over the fallen over Pinsir, cutting through his armored like body. The large beetle let loose a pained moan before it passed out. Mankey let loose a tired huff and returned to Ash's side.

"Nice job Mankey." Ash praised as he handed the small monkey an Oran berry. Mankey quickly ate it with a smile before sitting down watch the next battle.

"That Mankey of yours is a tough battler. Pinsir is one of my tougher Pokemon."

"I've got to work with him for a short time, but he keeps surprising every chance he gets," Ash said with a smile as Mankey looked up at him with a grin of his own. "No it's my turn to choose and I'm going with Pichu this time," Ash said as the electric mouse jumped down from his shoulder and took his spot on the battlefield.

"Butterfree is my next choice." Jack released the familiar Pokemon before Ash. All his life he had grown up around the Bug/Flying-type and it was one of the most common in Kanto. This one was different though. This Butterfree's eyes were a bright shade of green, while its wings were a light pink color.

"A shiny Pokemon," Ash said in slight awe. Shiny Pokemon were a genetic oddity as a random shift in a Pokemon's DNA would change a Pokemon's coloration. They were rare in the world. To see one before him was something else.

"This Butterfree I captured as a Caterprie in this very forest. Let's see if your Pichu can give him a challenge."

"Free."

"Pichu and I can give him more than enough of a challenge." Pichu had sparks charging on Pichu's cheeks as he gazed determinedly at Butterfree.

"Now it's our turn. Butterfree use Psybeam!" A multi-colored beam shot out of Butterfree's eyes and headed towards Pichu.

"Dodge Pichu and use Thundershock." Pichu ducked under the beams and released a bolt of electricity at Butterfree who flew out of the way of the lightning.

"Use Poison Powder." With a flap of its wings, Butterfree released a purple powder that Ash knew was a deadly poison attack.

"Get out of there Pichu," Ash ordered as Pichu sped out of the way of the Poison Powder. "Now hit Butterfree with Iron Tail!" With a mighty leap, Pichu went soaring at Butterfree with its tail glowing a metallic silver.

"Whirlwind!" Butterfree flapped its wing causing a great burst of wind to send Pichu back and slamming into a tree. "Now use Psybeam!"

"Shockwave!" Ash ordered. Pichu had enough electricity in him by now to use Shockwave twice, maybe three times before he ran out of juice. He was going to have to make those attacks count.

The two attacks collided against each other. Multi-colored psychic energy vs blue electricity that ended in a stalemate.

"Quick Attack now!" Ash shouted as Pichu sped through a cloud of smoke and tackled into Butterfree. "Now hit it with Thundershock." Pichu followed his attack up by firing a quick burst of electricity that shocked Butterfree who crumpled to the ground.

"Butterfree!" Jack shouted to his fallen Pokemon. Butterfree used its small arms to push itself up and glare at Pichu.

"Finish it with Iron Tail!" Pichu charged at Butterfree with its tail glowing ready to finish the battle.

"Supersonic." Butterfree unleashed a cry that sent a wave of sound at the charging Pichu who stopped in his tracks and clutched his head in pain.

"Pichu!" Ash cried as Pichu shook his head around in confusion. He had gotten cocky and forgot that Butterfree's talents weren't in flashy moves, but with techniques that could cripple a Pokemon by using moves like Stun Spore or in this case Supersonic. "Snap out of it buddy." Pichu couldn't hear his trainer. All he heard was a loud ringing that echoed through his head causing him great pain.

"Finish Pichu off with Psybeam!" Jack ordered. Butterfree shot the beam of psychic energy at the confused Pichu who was helpless.

"Pichu you have to use Shock Wave!" Ash ordered to no effect. Pichu was could only stand there as the beam blasted into him. He dropped to the ground unconscious.

"Looks like I tied this up," Jack said as Ash returned Pichu to his Pokeball. The little guy had given it his all and Ash felt the blame lay with him. He should have thought of Butterfree using an attack like that.

"Don't worry. Charmander and I have got this." Ash mumble to the Pokeball and he returned to his belt. Jack had pulled out his last Pokeball and released it. A large green insect with thin wings attached to its back and a set of large scythe-like blades.

"Scyther!" The insect roared as he glared at Ash. The Bug-Flying-type caused Ash to pause. It was times like these that made Ash wish Skarmory would listen to him fully, but he wasn't going to force a battle on the steel bird. Besides, Charmander could handle this.

"Let's rock Charmander!" His faithful Fire-type appeared before him. With arms raised and ready Charmander growled as he faced his next opponent. Scyther growled in return as two prepared to do battle against each other. Ash decided to make the first move.

"Ember Charmander!" Charmander spat out the fireballs that flew at Scyther.

"Dodge Scyther then use Vacuum Wave." Scyther's moved fast and Jack's was no exception. With a burst of speed, he avoided the fireballs and spun through the arm. With a wave its scythe it unleashed a tornado of concentrated fighting energy at Charmander.

"Counter with Fire Spin." Charmander unleashed a vortex of flames from its mouth that met the tornado head-on and caused an explosion to fill the forset."'Use Hone Claw followed up by Metal Claw." Charmander's claws flashed for a second before its claws lengthed and then turned metallic silver.

"Double Team." Charmander slashed through a copy of Scyther and looked around and tried to find the large insect.

"Quick Attack!"

Scyther slammed into Charmander faster then the lizard could react, causing the small flame lizard to go falling back and tumble across the ground. Charmander got to his feet and growled at his opponent, who smirked down at the smaller Pokemon.

"Slash, Scyther!" Scyther raised its sharp scythe-like arm and sped at Charmander.

"Block with Metal Claw." Charmander barely managed to lift his metallic claws in time to block Scyther's Slash attack. The two Pokemon were locked in combat and neither one wanted to give in to the other.

"Flame Burst!" Charmander opened his mouth to let loose the large fireball that exploded against Scyther's torso. The Bug/Flying-type cried out in pain as the super effective attack left burns across its body.

Scyther struggled to his feet no longer underestimating his smaller opponent.

"You and your Charmander are strong. Much like the last trainer from Pallet Town to cross my path." Jack complimented.

"That other trainer. Was his name Gary by any chance?" Ash asked with a frown.

"Yes, I do believe that was him. Bit arrogant, but a good battler none the less."

Ash couldn't believe it. This meant that Gary had already been past here and had probably already in Pewter City by now.

"Now where were we. Scyther use Slash!"

"Finish this with Metal Claw!" Ash ordered as Charmander charged at Scyther who had raised his blades. The two Pokemon met in the middle of the battlefield in a clash of wills. Charmander wasn't going to give in. His metallic claws shined brighter than ever before as they forced their way past Scyther's blades. His claws slashed their way across Scyther's torso causing the large mantis to cry out in pain and collapse as Charmander stood over his unconscious foe.

"Woohoo! Way to go Charmander!" Ash cheered as Charmander slowly hopped up from his opponent and walked over to his trainer with a proud grin on his face.

Jack returned Scyther with a sigh before he walked up to the celebrating duo. "That was a well-fought battle. Scyther is by far my strongest Pokemon. If your Charmander can defeat him then you're ready to battle Brock."

"Heh yeah, my Pokemon and I have been working extra hard and order to prepare for it," Ash said as he scratched the back of Charmander's head.

"It will be dark soon. My fellow Bug-catchers and I have a camp not too far from here if you wish to stay the night." Jack offered. Staying the night in Viridian Forest could be dangerous if you were a newbie trainer and didn't know where to set up for the night.

"That be awesome Jack. Thanks." Maybe he could also get some tips on how to raise Bug-types to their full potential.

* * *

"Finally!"

Ash left that morning with a clear goal in mind. Reach Pewter City and battle Brock. And he and his team did just that. After getting a good night's rest, Ash charged through Viridian Forest with Charmander and Pichu blasting any bug Pokemon that was crazy enough to get in his way. Jack and his fellow Bug-catchers were kind enough to point him in the right direction and they were off. It took them another full day to reach Pewter and they had made the most of it by battling as many other trainers as he could. Ash felt like his team was more than ready for this.

Charmander had worked on learning the move Dragon Rage. It was the easiest Dragon-type attack that Charmander could learn at the moment and they were really at the beginning stages of the move. Charmander was still having problems generating dragon energy, but Ash knew that with time the little Fire-type would master it. Pichu was learning Nuzzle which was also helping the small Pokemon learn how to control his power. Nuzzle's short burst of electricity caused a bit of pain and was guaranteed to paralyze an opponent.

Ash hadn't worked with Mankey and Skamory on new moves yet. Mostly because he wanted to work with Mankey more before he taught him anything else. Skarmory, on the other hand, was still being stubborn. Throughout their travel through Viridian Forest, Skarmory had only slightly warmed up to him and by warming up he no longer glared at him if he approached the Pokemon with food.

All Ash wanted to do now was get his Pokemon looked over. Mankey had been hit with a Poison Sting on their way through the forest and Ash wanted to make sure the monkey wasn't feeling any lingering effects.

Pewter City was larger than Viridian City. Ash navigated through the busy streets until he spotted the familiar white building with a red roof. Stepping through the doors, he spotted a familiar person

"Well, well, well. Look who finally made it." Leaf said from a nearby table. Bulbasaur was sitting on a cushion next to her and looked slightly larger from the last time Ash had seen it.

"Leaf? But how? I left Viridian City before you..."

"Maybe you shouldn't rely on that sense of direction of yours and follow trail signs like a normal person." Leaf teased as she stood up. "I've already battle Brock before you and he's not taking any more challengers today."

"What!"

"Yep my team and I were pushed hard, but we managed to overcome Brock's Rock-types." Leaf said as she patted Ash on the shoulder. "So have you added any new Pokemon to your team?"

"I actually caught a Mankey as I was leaving Viridian."

"Awesome. A Mankey will definitely help with Brock's team."

"What about you? You know my team, but I know nothing about yours."

"I'd rather show you than tell you." Leaf said as Ash first got his Pokemon looked over by the Nurse Joy on duty. As soon as she said they were in fighting shape Leaf led him outside towards a clearing. She grabbed two Pokeballs off her belt and threw them into the air.

"Come on out guys." Leaf shouted as two different forms appeared before him. The first was a small bipedal Pokemon that had gray skin with three brown ridges on top of its head. Ash recognized it as a Machop. The other was a small purple furred bug Pokemon with long antennas sticking out of its head and large red compound eyes. A Venonat. Both Pokemon looked at their trainer happily but glanced at Ash in confusion.

"Guys meet my very first human friend. Ash, I want you to meet my Machop and my Venonat." Leaf declared as Machop waved at Ash in greeting. Venonat stared at Ash in wonder. Pichu who had been perched on Ash's shoulder jumped down and greeted the bug with a smile.

"I guess I'll do the same," Ash said as he grabbed his Pokeballs and released his faithful companions. In a flash of light Charmander, Mankey and Skarmory appeared. Charmander and Mankey looked happy to be released so they could stretch their legs while Skarmory looked bored until he saw Venonat standing next to Leaf. Ash sent the bird a sharp look.

"Don't even think about it." Ash scolded and Skarmory turned away. While Ash wasn't going to force the bird to battle, he was going to put his foot down on how it treated other Pokemon. Charmander growled at the larger Pokemon in warning as well. Skarmory wasn't going to push the smaller Pokemon who was much stronger than before when they fought outside Viridian. With a flap of his wings, Skarmory flew to the shade of a nearby tree and sat down there.

"So he's still moody." Leaf stated as she calmed Venonat down. The small Pokemon glanced at Skarmory warily.

"He's actually gotten better the last couple days," Ash said with a chuckle. By now Charmander had trodded over to talk to Bulbasaur, while Mankey seemed to be sizing up Machop. Both fighting-types were having a staredown. "Looks like our Fighting-types want to duke it out."

"They'll have to wait. They're having a rookie tournament in Pewter on Saturday and I want Machop to be healthy for it."

"Rookie tournament?"

"Oh, Ash don't you know anything? You'd be lost without me." Leaf teased while Ash grumbled under his breathe about troublesome girls. "All across the region their holding small tournaments to see how every trainer is holding up so far. Pewter City is holding one of these tournaments this coming weekend and to enter you have to have one badge!" She finished with a grin.

"Sweet. A tournament like this will show how strong we are!" Ash exclaimed as his Pokemon jumped around in excitement. Even Skarmory was looking in interest.

"Supposedly there is a grand prize that goes to the winner of the whole thing." Leaf also supplied. "And since I already have my badge, I'm going to let my team rest a little bit before we sweep the competition.

"We'll see about that," Ash replied with a grin that Leaf was returning. Tomorrow he would battle and he was going to win.

* * *

"Excuse me, sir." A young woman wearing a purple secretary's suit and a clipboard said as she approached a man sitting at a desk. By his side was a large sleek feline with tan fur and a red jewel in the center of its forehead. The man was wearing a black business suit with a red tie. His cold eyes looked at the woman.

"What is it Matori."

"We have multiple reports that a team of our agents was spotted in Viridian City."

"Which team." The man ordered angrily as the Persian sat up with an annoyed growl.

"The team of Jessie, James, and Meowth sir," Matori answered with a curve to her lip. She hated Jessie and any chance she could get to make her look bad was a chance she would love to take.

"Those fools." He muttered under his breath. That trio of grunts was good at being annoyances. "Were they apprehended?" As troublesome as they were also good at infiltrating.

"No, sir. They managed to escape with their tails tucked between their legs. A young trainer was responsible for their defeat."

"Oh? Then those three are more pathetic than I thought. Hmm... Tell them to report to Ariana. I'm sure she'll have a thing or two to teach them."

"Right away sir," Matori said as she fought the temptation to laugh with glee.

"Before you go Matori. What was this trainer's name?" Matori glanced down at her clipboard.

"It says here his name was Ash Ketchum," Matori answered as Giovanni's eye raised in interest.

"That'll be all Matori."

"Yes, Lord Giovanni." As Matori walked out of his office, Giovanni began to chuckle in amusement.

"So it seems I have something to keep my eye on."

* * *

With the Gym being closed until tomorrow Ash and Leaf decided to see the second most sought after place in Pewter City: The Pewter City Museum.

"Hey, Ash check this out!" Leaf exclaimed as she pointed at a massive skeleton. Ash could see that it was the skeleton of a winged Pokemon. It reminded him of a Charizard except it was missing the arms, but is huge wingspan more than made up for it.

"That is an Aerodactyl. Millions of years ago it ruled the skies and cast fear into the hearts of all others. Now it is just a reminder to what our world used to be." A voice said. The voice belonged to an older teen. He had tanned skin and narrowed eyes and his hair was brown and spiky and he was wearing a long-sleeved orange shirt with black around the collar, a pair of dark green cargo pants and brown boots.

"Sounds like an awesome Pokemon," Ash said with a smirk as he imagined himself owning one of the fierce Fossil Pokemon. Restoring fossil Pokemon was a process that had been invented in the last thirty years. Both Kanto and Hoenn had been in a race to discover the process only to finish it around the same time. Steven Stone was a famous trainer from Hoenn that had mastered the use of Fossil Pokemon in battle and had shown that their power was still unbelievable.

"Awesome but deadly." The teen warned as he stuck his hand out. "I'm Brock and a mutual friend asked me to meet you here."

"Wait a minute. That means you're the Gym Leader here in Pewter City!"

"Yep and you can thank me." Leaf butted in with a smile. "I figured you could meet Brock before you battle him tomorrow."

"Leaf called me to tell me about a new challenger. Figured if you were another trainer from Pallet Town I might find another interesting opponent."

"So that means you've already battled the other trainer from Pallet?" Ash asked

"If you mean Gary Oak than yes. He was in here yesterday and defeated my First badge team with only a bit of trouble." Brock answered. "If you like I can arrange to have our battle first thing tomorrow around noon if that's okay?"

"Noon would be perfect!" Ash said in excitement. His first gym battle was right before him.

"Glad to hear it. Now I'll leave you, two kids, to yourself." Brock said with a smirk as he walked away, leaving Ash with a confused expression as Leaf blushed.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing." Leaf muttered as she turned away to hide her still blushing face. "Check out these other fossils Ash. This one is a Dome fossil! They're supposed to be revived into Kabuto."

"Have you ever thought about obtaining a Fossil Pokemon?"

"Of course! But finding fossils is easier said than done." Leaf answered. "They say you can even find some fossils in Mt. Moon."

"I'll have to keep my eyes out then. Who knows maybe I'll even share one with you." Ash teased.

"Please, with how slow you are I'll already have a full team of Fossil Pokemon before you find one of those stones." Leaf returned with a laugh as they continued to explore the museum. It was nice to relax a little bit after having traveled for so many days.

* * *

Ash walked into the Gym with determination in his eyes. Having spent all morning preparing for his gym battle Ash felt more than ready for the challenge that lay before him and his team.

Stepping into the Gym was a feeling that Ash just couldn't quite place.

"Can we help you." A boy a few years younger than Ash asked as walked through the doors. He looked very similar to Brock with the same half-closed eyes and hairstyle.

"I'm here to challenge Brock,"

"Huh, you're the first challenger today. I'll alert him that he has a trainer here." The boy said as he pointed at a doorway. "You can wait for Brock in there." Ash walked through to see a massive battlefield that was littered with stones and boulders.

"Whoa." The Pokeballs on his belt shook in excitement at the coming battle.

"Excited Ash?" Brock asked as he stepped into the room. A cocky smile was on his face as he walked to his spot on the other side of Ash. "This is your first Gym battle right."

"It is but that doesn't mean take it easy on me!"

"I never underestimate my competition," Brock said as he picked his first Pokemon. "Forrest would you mind explaining the rules here for the challenger."

The boy from before stood in the middle of the battlefield. "This will be level one Gym challenge between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town versus Brock Slate of Pewter City. This will be a three vs three battle with only the challenger able to substitute Pokemon." Forrest explained as Brock threw out his Pokeball.

"Now let's go Geodude!"

A small boulder-like Pokemon appeared before Ash. Its arms stuck out from its sides and it glared sternly at Ash. "Geo!"

Geodude was one of the most commonly found Rock-types in Kanto. Not as strong as an Onix, but more than capable of dealing with a rookie trainer.

"Go Manky!" The pig monkey Pokemon appeared at Ash's side and took a fighting stance in front of Geodude.

"Let the battle begin!" Forrest ordered and Ash took the first move.

"Mankey use Karate Chop!" Mankey charged at Geodude with its hand glowing white. Geodude stood absolutely still, waiting for its trainer's order.

"Geodude use Magnitude!" Geodude slammed its fist into the ground and sent a seismic wave at the charging Fighting-type.

"Jump Mankey!" Ash said and Mankey bent his legs and launched himself into the air. "Come down with Low Kick."

"Geodude use Defense Curl!" Geodude rolled itself into a tight ball and allowed Mankey's kick to land. Mankey jumped back as Geodude uncurled itself with a smirk on its face. Ash should have known that Mankey's attack wouldn't do as much damage. Geodudes were known for their defensive capabilities and could easily take a move like Low Kick. He would need to wear it down with hit and run tactics.

"Rock Polish," Brock said as a sheen of white flashed over Geodude. "Now use Tackle." With a speed that Geodude shouldn't have it charged at Mankey and slammed into him causing Mankey to cry out. "Mankey turn around and use Beat up!" Ash ordered as Mankey spun around and slammed his fist down onto Geodude's rock-like body. Geodude let loose a grunt of pain as Mankey continued to strike it.

"Geodude use Mega Punch!" Geodude's fist glowed a bright white color and it punched Mankey away and into a nearby boulder causing the stone to shatter. Mankey staggered out of the rumble with an angered look in his eyes.

"You ok Mankey?" Ash asked as Mankey nodded his head. A few bruises covered the pig-monkey, but otherwise, he seemed ok. "Good now use Focus Energy," Ash ordered as Mankey began to charge his energy around him. Mankey closed his eyes as he concentrated on making the next hit count.

"Geodude use Rollout!" Brock ordered. Geodude tightened itself into a ball and spun at Mankey who continued to charge up energy. The Rock-type smashed into Mankey send the Pokemon back.

"Keep charging Mankey," Ash said with determination. Mankey followed his trainer's order as Geodude came circling back and hit him again. Mankey knew he could take punishment and refused to go down to his opponent. Geodude was rolling at Mankey again.

"Mankey use Karate Chop now!" Ash yelled out as Mankey slammed his glowing hand into the spinning Geodude. The ground underneath Geodude broke apart from the force of the Karate Chop. Ash and Brock held their breaths as Geodude unrolled itself. The Focus Energised Karate Chop had knocked the Rock-type out.

"Geodude is unable to battle. Mankey is the winner." Forrest called out as Ash pumped his hand up.

"Nice job Mankey" Ash praised as Mankey puffed his chest out in pride. Ash held out his Pokeball. "Take a break. Me and the others can face whatever comes next." Ash said as the Pokeball sucked Mankey in.

"You fight well for a rookie trainer," Brock said with a smile.

"Thanks. My team and I have worked hard."

"I can see that. But don't think that means your going to win. You still have two more of my Pokemon to beat. And you're about to meet my second one. Go Bonsly!" A small dark brown Pokemon with three green orbs on top of its head appeared. Ash was reminded of the bonsai tree that Leaf's mother had grown upon seeing the Rock Pokemon before him.

"Pichu let go." Pichu appeared from his Pokeball charged and ready to rumble. The small yellow electric had sparks on his cheeks as he stared at Bonsly.

"Your Pichu looks well taken care of. Let's see if it has what it takes to battle my Bonsly."

"Pichu Vs Bonsly. Let the battle begin!"

"Bonsly use Rock Throw!"

"Pichu use Thundershock!"

Small white orbs formed around Bonsly, taking the shape and form of rocks while Pichu released a bolt of electricity. The Thundershock clashed against the stones and created a stalemate that caused the field to be covered in smoke.

"Pichu use Iron Tail!" The small mouse burst through the smoke and with his tail glowing metallic.

"Bonsly use Rock Polish then get out of there!" Light energy flashed over Bonsly's body and then he moved forward in a burst of speed.

_'That move again. Brock is increasing his Pokemon's speed at the right time.'_ Ash thought as he tried to figure out a plan.

"Now Bonsly use Feint Attack!" Brock ordered as Bonsly locked onto Pichu and disappeared, before slamming its foot into Pichu.

"Pichu use Nuzzle!" Pichu latched onto Bonsly and released a small burst of electricity that slightly shocked Bonsly. The Rock-type stumbled back as electricity spread over its body causing it to cry out.

Ash smirked as Bonsly stood there paralyzed. If Brock wanted to increase his Pokemon's speed then he would just have to slow it down.

"Now Pichu use Iron Tail." Pichu's tail glowing metal tail smashed into the downed Bonsly who smashed into the ground.

"Bonsly!" Brock called out in alarm as the small Rock-type struggled to his feet.

"Not bad huh Brock?" Ash asked with a large smile as Pichu jumped up and down in excitement.

"Not bad at all," Brock admitted. "But don't think this will stop us! Bonsly use Rest," Brock ordered as Bonsly closed its eyes and drifted oof into a healing sleep.

"What?!" Ash shouted as Bonsly recovered. "Pichu stop Bonsly from healing with Iron Tail." Pichu was still full of energy but if Bonsly could continue to recover from attacks than they would be in serious trouble,

"Bonsly use Sleep Talk." The sleeping Rock-type formed several orbs around itself they soon took the shape of rocks. Bonsly hurled the attacks Pichu as the electric mouse charged forward with his Iron Tail.

"Block those rocks with your tail Pichu!" Ash ordered as Pich spun mid-step and used his Iron Tail to smash the Rock Throw it to small bits of rubble.

"Sleep Talk!" The still sleeping Bonsly heard his trainers order and ran at Pichu. Using its entire body, Bonsly slammed into Pichu who let out a cry of pain.

"That was Take Down... Pichu use Thundershock full power!" Pichu climbed to his feet and with a furious cry let loose a bolt of electricity that engulfed Bonsly. The small Rock-type was forcibly awakened and stumbled around in a daze.

"Bonsly snap out of it." Brock tried to get his Pokemon to focus

" Get in close than finish it Pichu with Iron Tail." Pichu bolted forward and slammed his tail into Bonsly. The small Rock-type felt the full force of the Steel-type move come down on it. Pichu had worked hard to master the move and it showed as he stood over the downed Rock-type.

"Bonsly is unable to battle. The winner is Pichu."

"Way to go Pichu." Ash cheered as Pichu lept at Ash in happiness.

"Bonsly return," Brock said as Bonsly was sucked into his Pokeball in a red beam. "Your Pichu is a strong little fellow. Now often I see them mastering Iron Tail at such a young age."

"Pichu has worked hard to master Iron Tail. I couldn't be prouder." Ash said as scratched Pichu on his cheek who let lose a joyous cry. "Now all we have to do is face his last Pokemon."

"Yes but this also happens to be the strongest Pokemon that a newbie trainer can face. Go Onix!" The Pokemon that appeared out of the Pokeball was a large serpentine Rock-type that let out the loudest roar he had heard so far on his journey. Ash already knew that Brock would be using Onix and had tried to prepare himself the best he could and yet he still shook a little when facing the massive snake-like Pokemon.

"Let's rock Charmander!" Ash called out as his much smaller Fire-type stood in front of Onix fearlessly.

"Charmander vs Onix. Let the match began!" Forrest called out as both Pokemon prepared for their trainer's orders.

"Charmander use Smokescreen!" Ash said in an attempt to keep Onix from seeing his Pokemon. Black smoke flowed from Charmander's mouth and covered the field. Brock's Onix scanned the battlefield as Charmander darted into the smoke.

"Onix use Rock Throw!" Brock ordered. The massive rock snake slammed his tail into the ground causing several large boulders to fly through the air and into the smokescreen. The boulders smashed into the field and as the smoke cleared it revealed a missing Charmander.

"Onix keep your eyes open."

"Ooonix!" The massive snake bellowed as its eyes scanned everything around him. Charmander appeared under Onix

"Now Charmander use Metal Claw!" Ash ordered with a grin. Charmander's claws glowed metallic and he jumped and dug into Onix's thick rocky hide eliciting a pained groan out of Onix.

"Onix shake it off then use Slam!" Brock demanded. Onix's large form began to shake about trying to get the small fire-lizard off him.

"Hang on Charmander!" Ash called out as Charmander dug his claws in deeper. With a mighty twist of its body, Onix sent Charmander up into the air before slamming its tail down on Charmander's small body and sending him flying backward and into the ground.

"Now Onix use Wrap." Onix constricted its rock body around Charmander and began to squeeze.

"Charr!" The Fire-type cried out in panic and pain.

"Use Ember and aim for its eyes," Ash ordered thinking quickly. Every pokemon had a weak spot. From the smallest to the biggest. It was one of the first lessons that his dad taught him and sometimes you needed to look for them. Charmander opened his mouth and let loose a barrage of small flames directly into Onix's face and eyes causing the rock snake to roar and let Charmander go. "Now use Metal Claw." Charmander made a mighty leap and with his metallic claws slashed across Onix's face and causing even more pain to the Rock-type.

"Onix move away then use Rock Throw."

"Counter with Flame Burst Charmander."

A huge boulder collided with a fireball canceling out each attack and causing an explosion to engulf the field.

"Metal Claw Charmander." Bursting out of the smoke was Charmander ready to deal even more damage.

"Onix use Screech!." Onix opened its maw to let loose a deafening screech that stopped Charmaaner in his tracks. "Now use Rock Throw." Charmander was a sitting Psyduck as the massive boulder smashed into him.

"Charmander!" Ash called out in a panic as he tried to find his starter Pokemon. Dust had filled the spot where Charmander was and making it difficult to see. Finally, it cleared away to show a badly bruised Charmadner still standing. It sent one last look of anger at Onix before collapsing unconscious.

"Charmander is unable to battle. The winner is Onix!" Forrest announced as Ash returned his Charmander.

Ash was at a loss for a second. It had never occurred to him what to do if Charmander went down because he had been banking on Charmander to defeat Onix. Mankey had already taken a mighty beating at the hands of Brock's Geodude and he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"Pichu!" Ash looked down to see Pichu giving him a determined expression. Ash nodded at the small mouse in agreement placing his faith and trust in Pichu.

"Let's go Pichu!" The Electric-type was even smaller than Charmander and severely outsized by Onix who towered over him. That didn't stop Pichu who glared at Onix and had sparks on cheeks.

"Pichu vs Onix. Let the battle begin." Forest declared and with that, both trainers began to order their Pokemon.

"Go Onix use Slam!" Onix's tail was reeled back and about to come down onto Pichu before the tiny mouse jumped up and narrowly avoided it.

"Pichu uses Iron Tail." Pichu landed on Onix's tail and began to race up it with its glowing tail at the ready. Pichu smacked into the side of Onix's head electing a groan of annoyance more than pain. Pichu fell backward as Onix righted himself. "Pichu move away ad get some distance." It did no good to be that close to Onix right after an attack. Pichu darted away just as Onix brought his tail down in another attempt to flatten the electric mouse.

"Onix try a Rock Throw!" Onix launched another rock right at Pichu.

"Use Double Team Pichu." The large rock that Onix had thrown went harmlessly through a clone of Pichu. Several more clones of Pichu appeared before Onix slightly confusing the rock serpent.

"Onix use Smack Down and hit all of them!" Brock shouted as Onix formed several rocks that were covered in orange energy. Several of them passed through the clones but Ash knew that eventually, Onix would land a hit.

"Pichu block it with Shock Wave!" Pichu charged up blue electricity around its body and released it at the Smack Down, though he was only barely able to hold back the attack. Onix had much more raw power compared to the younger Pichu. Both attacks canceled each other out and caused an explosion to engulf the field that Pichu was caught in. "Pichu!" Ash cried out in worry.

Pichu darted out of the smoke on all fours and raced at Onix his small black eyes filled with determination. As he ran at Onix his body began to glow and the entire battlefield was blinded by a bright white light. Pichu's body began to shift and become larger. Ash recognized it immediately and so did Brock. Evolution was occurring and Pichu was the first of Ash's Pokemon to evolve. When the light died away it showed a larger yellow mouse with a black-tipped tail. His cheeks were covered by red circles and there were two brown horizontal stripes on its back.

"Pikachu!"

"Alright!" Ash cheered as the newly evolved Pokemon pumped its arm in celebration.

"No way," Brock muttered to himself as Pikachu glared right at his Onix. The game had changed now. "Onix use Rock Throw!" Onix launched several boulders at Pikachu.

"Dodge it with Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. Pikachu's new larger body sped past the rocks and ran right for the rock snake. A determined glint in his eyes. "Now go in for an Iron Tail!" Pikachus tail gained a metallic tint to it. Pikachu jumped up and brought his tail down on Onix's horn. The tail bashed against Onix and caused a part of its horn to break off. The mighty Rock-type collapsed with a groan as Pikachu landed on the ground.

Forrest took one look at Onix before shaking his head. "Onix is unable to battle. The winner is Pikachu and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."

"We did it!" Ash yelled out as he ran towards Pikachu who joyously jumped into his trainer's arms. Brock watched the scene with a smile. As a gym leader, his job was to test every trainer that stepped in and wanted to challenge him and ultimately he wanted them to best him. It meant that the trainer was doing their job as a trainer and raising their Pokemon right.

"Congratulations Ash. That was a well-fought battle." Brock said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny piece of metal. A badge.

"Thanks, Brock. You really made us work for this." Ash said as Brock handed the badge to him. Ash stared at it in slight awe. A real badge. His dad had told him about the badge of Kanto. Each one a symbol of a trainer's progress.

"That is the Boulder badge. The symbol that you achieved victory here in Pewter City. I would also like to give you this." Brock said as he handed Ash a disk. "That is a TM containing the move Smack Down. A useful technique that is best used against Pokemon that can fly or levitate."

"Wow, thanks, Brock!" Ash said quickly put the TM in his TM case. TM's were useful little machines that quickly imparted knowledge into Pokemon about a move.

"The next Gym is in Cerulean City just east of here. It should only take you a couple of days to reach there. I should also mention that Pewter is holding the Rookie tournament here this year. With the Boulder badge, you can enter now. There's an amazing surprise that goes the trainer that wins the whole tournament."

"I think a might just take you up on that," Ash said as he and Pikachu shared a smirk. The thrill of a new challenge exciting them both.

"Good. You can register at the Pokemon center." Ash nodded and walked away. Pikachu holding onto his shoulder as they left the gym.

* * *

Silver huffed in exhaustion as his Lucario and Salamance gathered around him. Lance had tried to calm him down. Get him to think with his head, but Silver had never been much for being calm. Finding a dangerous criminal organization had messed with his kid on his second day as a trainer was the kind of thing that would enrage him. Enrage him to the point that he sent his two strongest Pokemon out to cause havoc on one the specially built league training grounds that looked more like a war zone now. Craters filled the field from were Salamance had launched attacks at Silver and Lucario who had done there best to avoid every blast.

"Better now?" Lance asked with a raised eye. Lance was one of the few trainers in the whole world that wouldn't be chased off by his rage. The younger trainer had known Silver since he was in his late teens. Even counted the man as a teacher and friend. Besides his wonderful wife Delia and old man oak, Lance was one of the few people that truly knew him and what he was willing to do.

"No." Silver said bluntly with a frown as he returned his two Pokemon. If anything he was angry the ever. Because this was his fault. As the Champion, it was his job to watch over the regions of Kanto and Johto. Team Rocket had always been a nuisance, even when he was just a young trainer. But now they were more dangerous than ever and he had failed to prevent it.

"Silver we're going to get the Rockets," Lance said in an attempt to calm his leader.

"Oh I know we will. Because as of right now Team Rocket is a priority threat in Kanto. I want every Ace Trainer from here to Fushia City to be on guard. Every Gym Leader to be on high alert. We are going to snuff out Team Rocket and make them regret ever setting up shop here in Kanto." Silver vowed with a clenched fist. " I want every file on Team Rocket on my desk."

"Do give me some credit Silver. I had the secretaries put the files on your desk hours ago."

"Good then let's get to work." Silver said with a nod as the two men made there way out of the destroyed training room. Silver had one goal now. To crush Team Rocket under his boot.

* * *

Few that was a big chapter. Biggest out of any story I've written. Ash caught Mankey, who happens to be one if most underrated captures, Pichu evolved into Pikachu, and Silver is on the warpath. If Team Rocket thinks that one Ketchum is bad just you wait to see how Papa Ketchum deals with people who mess with his kid. Also, a quick look at the Pokemon that Leaf has captured. Next time the Rookie tournament begins and what could the prize be.

Before I sign off I'm gonna talk a little bit about Sword and Shield. Honest to god I'm trying not to hate these games. The new Pokemon don't particularly piss me off. In fact, I love Grooky as a starter, but for god's sake do I hate Dynamaxing. It's just stupid. And this 30 dollar add ons are like a giant middle finger. Not the bonus content is bad or anything, but this just feels like Nintendo gave us an unfinished game and is now trying to cover their asses. So while Galar will be a region in this and Galar Pokemon might make an appearance one day, Dynamax and Gigantamax are not, nor will ever be a thing in this story. Alright got that off my chest.

One last thing let me know what Pokemon you think Ash, Leaf, or Gary should catch. No legendaries. That's a little too soon.

Later guys... Fine I don't own Pokemon. Happy Gamefreak and Nintendo.


End file.
